Disruptions in the British supply chain continue due to Yemen’s naval operations, a British newspaper reported on Monday.
The Yemeni Armed Forces have blocked British ships from passing through the Red Sea in support of Gaza and in response to the aggressive strikes against Yemen, leading to shipping costs increasing more than threefold and still likely to rise further.
In a report titled “Red Sea crisis forces retailers to stock up early for Christmas”, The Times newspaper noted that the international shipping costs are up 244 percent since the start of the Red Sea crisis and could rise again over the next few months.
It explained that attacks on ships in one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors by the Yemeni forces, in support of Hamas in Gaza, have forced many vessels to sail via South Africa instead.
The report also noted that restrictions in the Panama Canal and signs of escalation in the US-China trade war have inflated prices further.
It currently costs $4,775 to ship a standard 40ft steel container across main trade routes, according to the Drewry World Container Index, up from $1,389.5 in October last year.
The report mentioned that analysts have warned of further price rises and predict that demand for shipping will remain high until at least February next year. They have also warned that potential labour disputes on America’s east and Gulf coasts could further disrupt supply chains and increase cargo rates.
“The prolonged impact of Red Sea disruptions is having knock-on effects across supply chains,” said Patrick Lepperhoff, principal at Inverto Supply Chain Management Consultancy.
He added that “Retailers also fear volatile shipping rates will suddenly start moving higher again, according to Inverto.”
Libberhoff further stated: “This has put pressure on the retailers themselves as they take in more stock early which they may not have warehouse space for. Instead, retailers will need to seek short-term storage back-up space, which can be very costly.”
Since Yemen entered the Al-Aqsa Storm battle in support of Gaza and imposed a blockade on Zionist navigation through Arab seas, the Yemeni Armed Forces have conducted dozens of operations against enemy ships violating the blockade.
After the US and Britain’s aggression against Yemen, which launched airstrikes in an attempt to prevent Yemeni from defending Gaza, the Yemeni Armed Forces have added the warships of these two nations to their target list.
The Israeli genocide in Gaza has resulted in the deaths and injuries of over 150,000 civilians during 11 months of conflict.
