CEO of the Israeli maritime risk information company Windward, Ami Daniel, said that there has been a 4- to 8-fold increase in shipping rates for 20- and 40-foot containers to Israel, in addition to indications that shipping an MSC container will cost $10,000 a month. Next, an increase from the level of $1,700, as a result of the Houthi attacks on Israeli ships and those heading to Israel in the Red Sea, according to what was reported by the Israeli newspaper Globes.
He added – according to the newspaper – that there is a significant increase in the prices of shipping goods and products from China and other Asian countries, especially furniture containers, toys, and car carriers.
He explained that container prices rose due to the decline in stocks and the economic crisis over the past few years, the repercussions of the war on Gaza, and the delay resulting from taking the Cape of Good Hope route around Africa to avoid the Red Sea, as quoted by Globes.
With regard to transporting cars, after the Houthi attack on the Galaxy Leader ship last November, the number of Chinese, Japanese and Korean brand car transport companies circulating around Africa tripled in December compared to the previous month, which It will soon add $1,000 to $2,000 to the price of the car, according to Daniel.
sanctions
Daniel said that Israel faces the risk of “silent and increasing sanctions”, as it is not a major consumer, importer or exporter of goods, while sailing to it has become more dangerous, according to what the newspaper quoted him as saying.
He pointed out that an increasing number of ship crews are asking their managers not to pass through the Red Sea and not to go to Israel, and that shipping lines support this trend, such as the Chinese company COSCO, which announced that it will not dock in Israel, and other companies that are considering the matter in what way. Regarding risk management, sailing to Israel now carries the same risks as sailing to Ukraine, according to him.
Daniel described what happened over the past few weeks in the Red Sea as a “black swan” (an unexpected event with catastrophic damage), according to what the newspaper quoted him as saying.
Windward analyzes global shipping movements in real-time, provides intelligence to Western navies and coast guards, and helps shipping lines, finance, and oil and gas companies assess risks to ships and sea lanes.
Daniel says that he saw up close the Chinese C-802 missiles used by the Houthis in Yemen when he was an officer on board the ship INS Hanit during the Second Lebanon War, according to what the newspaper quoted him as saying.
According to Globes, it is believed that the Houthis used the same missile to attack cargo ships in the Red Sea in more than 100 separate incidents.
Mission Impossible
Daniel believes that the “Prosperity Guardian” operation, which aims to respond to the attacks, has begun to decline. He said, “The United States is clearly leading the coalition, and Britain is part of it, but there are countries, such as France and Spain, that joined it and then retreated, and 10 other countries did not.” “It determines its position. This coalition is poorly organized, and the forces operate independently,” he said.
The newspaper quoted him as saying: “To protect a cargo ship or container, the warship should not be more than two thousand yards away from it. If there are 260 ships in the threatened area, from northwest Yemen to southeast Aden, and you have to stand a mile apart from each other.” “With their guidance, you need a lot of warships just to provide protection, and that’s an impossible task.”
Regarding the countries’ fear of being seen as siding with Israel, Daniel said that this is true, citing the captains’ explicit request that American ships not accompany them, unless the company is from a group of ships from the coalition forces, and with the support of the United Nations, which is something It is difficult to provide.
According to the newspaper, Daniel says that these captains would rather not be protected than be protected by the Americans, considering that this trend is new and has not been witnessed before.
Daniel said that his company monitored several ships broadcasting the phrase “We have no connection to Israel” in their location reports, in response to the Houthis’ announcement, and they will attack any ship that sails to Israel, carries Israeli goods, or trades with Israel, adding: “So far, we have identified ships Chinese, Russian and Greek send this message.”
