After the ‘Ever Given:’ What the ship wedged in the Suez Canal means for global trade

In the early hours of March 23, the container ship Ever Given was blown off course by high winds on its way through the Suez Canal. At 400 meters long, the Ever Given is longer than the canal is wide, and the ship became wedged firmly on both banks, completely blocking traffic.

Dredgers, excavators and tugboats are working frantically to free the ship, but the operation may take weeks, according to the head of one of the rescue teams. About 10 percent of the world’s maritime trade passes through the canal, which allows ships to shorten the trip between Europe or the American East Coast and Asia by thousands of kilometers, saving a week or more of travel time.