As more cargo ships grapple with escaling attacks at the Suez Canal, led by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, retail industry groups are monitoring the problem and devising possible solutions. The violence is leading some shippers to take precautions and others to avoid the route entirely, boosting the potential for delays and cost increases.
As of Sunday, 77 vessels transited the canal, with a total net tonnage of 4 million tons, and the Suez Canal remains the fastest and shortest route between Asia and Europe, according to a report from the Suez Canal Authority.
