Rabiee, Mærsk discuss joint cooperation amid Red Sea developments
Rabiee stressed on the importance of the Suez Canal to the sustainability of global supply chains.
Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, met with a high-level delegation from A.P. Møller – Mærsk Group, led by Vice President Camilla Jain Holtse, at the Irshad building in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to discuss avenues of joint cooperation.
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the delegation's official visit to Egypt, focused on the impact of positive developments in the Red Sea region and on the Suez Canal's role in global trade. It included discussions on navigation schedules, potential toll reductions, and the gradual return of Mærsk's transit through the Suez Canal.
Holtse affirmed the Group's commitment to resuming transits and highlighted the close monitoring of regional developments, saying, "We affirm the Group’s commitment to returning to transit through the Suez Canal. We are monitoring developments moment by moment."
Admiral Rabiee emphasised the importance of the Suez Canal for global supply chains and called on Mærsk to amend its navigation schedules in response to changing conditions in the Red Sea.
He noted that the Suez Canal Authority has responded to shipping lines by offering temporary incentives and toll reductions of 15% for container vessels with a net tonnage of 130,000 tonnes or above, encouraging their return to the Canal. "We call on Mærsk to take the initiative to make positive decisions towards amending its navigation schedules and to return gradually to transit through the Suez Canal," he said.
The Mærsk delegation included representatives from various regions, including Hany El Nady (MENA), Simon Bergulf (Europe), Doug Morgante (North America), Jens Eskelund (China and Northeast Asia), René Piil Pedersen (South Asia and Southeast Asia), and Danilo de Morais Veras (Latin America).
They expressed their support for the Suez Canal's role in sustaining global trade and highlighted the need for stability in the Red Sea to ensure safe transit. Eskelund noted the impact of the Red Sea crisis on global supply chains, while Pedersen stressed the canal's significance as a vital link in the global economy. Veras praised the Suez Canal’s management, describing it as a model of success in crisis management.
