Stuck in the Suez: A Legal Analysis of the Ever Greens Blockage of the Suez Canal

Vishnupriya V

Abstract: The blockage of the Suez Canal by the Evergreen ship, named Ever Given, in March 2021 sparked a worldwide maritime crisis that garnered significant attention from the global community. This incident, caused by the ship running aground and becoming wedged diagonally across the vital waterway, led to the disruption of international trade routes, highlighting the vulnerability of global supply chains. This abstract provides an overview of the events surrounding the blockage of the Suez Canal, examines the immediate and long - term impacts on global trade, explores the subsequent response and recovery efforts, and discusses the implications for future maritime operations. The incident exposed the concentration of global trade and the inherent risks associated with relying on a single transit route, raising concerns about the resilience of supply chains in an increasingly interconnected world. The successful refloating of the ship brought relief to global trade, but its repercussions continued to be felt for several weeks as the backlog of vessels waited to pass through the canal. In conclusion, the blockage of the Suez Canal by the Evergreen ship highlighted the fragility of global trade networks and the potential for cascading effects when key transit routes are disrupted. It serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of the global economy and the importance of proactive measures to mitigate risks and ensure the smooth flow of goods across the world's oceans.

Keywords: Suez Canal blockage, Evergreenship, Global maritime crisis, International trade disruption, Supply chain vulnerability, Global trade impacts, Response and recovery efforts, Maritimeoperations, Backlog of vessels

Edition: Volume 12 Issue 5, May 2023,

Pages: 2465 - 2466