Suez Canal to blame for grounding of massive container ship, ship owner's lawyer says

Jacob Knutson
·1 min read

An attorney for the owner of the skyscraper-sized container ship Ever Given argued on Saturday that Suez Canal operators were at fault for the ship's grounding, according to Reuters.

Why it matters: The ship is currently detained in Egypt as the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) attempts to secure a $916.5 million claim against its Japan-based operator, Shoei Kisen. An Egyptian court is expected to make a decision the claim on Sunday, per Bloomberg.

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The big picture: Shoei Kisen's legal team argued that Suez Canal operators were responsible because they allowed the massive ship to enter the waterway during high winds, which caused a sandstorm and poor visibility.

  • Ahmed Abu Ali, a member of the legal team, told Reuters that operators failed to provide evidence proving a fault committed by the ship and that tugboats should have accompanied the Ever Given during its trip through the canal.

  • The ship owner is claiming $100,000 in compensation from canal authorities for losses related to the ship's detention, which it argues was legally flawed.

  • The SCA has previously denied it was at fault, Reuters noted.

The intrigue: A supermoon ultimately helped free the massive ship, which paralyzed the vital shipping route for almost a week in March.

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