The attacks on vessels by Houthi militants in the red sea, along the shipping route that connects to the crucial Suez Canal for shorter East-West transit, have pushed some shipping companies to re-route vessels around the southern tip of Africa.
This map shows the usual ship transit routes from main Asia ports to main EU and US ports via the Suez Canal and South Africa. The Suez Canal route is around 8,500 nautical miles long, which equals a 26-day trip. The South Africa route is about 11,800 Nautical miles, which equals a 36-day trip.
Sources: LSEG; Planet Labs; Maps4News; Shoei Kisen Kaisha
Graphic by Reuters Staff for Reuters on December 19, 2023.