{"id":8390,"date":"2025-08-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/?p=8390"},"modified":"2025-10-16T12:18:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T11:18:46","slug":"when-will-sea-freight-shipping-return-red-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/when-will-sea-freight-shipping-return-red-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"When Will Sea Freight Shipping Container Traffic Return to the Red Sea?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Shipping lines began re-routing their cargo ships back in December 2023 \/ January 2024, following attacks on commercial shipping vessels by Houthis.\u00a0 The re-routing has involved a 3,000 mile diversion around the Cape of Good Hope, in order to avoid the Red Sea and minimise risks on sea freight vessels and crew.\u00a0 This routing has lengthened transit times and, naturally, increased costs involved in sea freight shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the first half of 2025, there appeared to be a lull in the number of attacks by Houthis on commercial sea freight shipping vessels.\u00a0 Most shipping lines remained cautious and have continued to route around the Cape of Good Hope.\u00a0 However, the beginning of July saw some dramatic and violent attacks, resulting in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seatrade-maritime.com\/containers\/container-lines-caution-on-red-sea-return-the-right-choice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sinking of two bulkers<\/a>, and the death of at least three seafarers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the current climate, it looks likely that the majority of shipping lines will maintain their cautious approach, avoiding the Red Sea, keeping the current routing around the Cape of Good Hope and associated costs on sea freight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are utilising sea freight for your shipments, either involving routing around the Cape of Good Hope, or traffic from the West, get in touch with our team to request a quote.\u00a0 We have established relationships with the major shipping lines and consolidators (for LCL shipping), teamed with our AEO status and ability to perform customs clearances at most UK ports, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UK based freight forwarder<\/a> Mercator is well placed to handle your sea freight requirements.\u00a0 You can get in touch by calling (+44)\u00a0<a href=\"tel:00442392756575\">02392 756 575<\/a>, emailing\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk\">sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk<\/a>\u00a0or completing the form below and we will be in touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Request a Quote for Sea Freight Shipping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"widget\" data-elementor-id=\"163\" class=\"elementor elementor-163\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-163 elementor-button-align-stretch elementor-widget elementor-widget-form\" data-id=\"163\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;button_width&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;step_next_label&quot;:&quot;Next&quot;,&quot;step_previous_label&quot;:&quot;Previous&quot;,&quot;step_type&quot;:&quot;number_text&quot;,&quot;step_icon_shape&quot;:&quot;circle&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"form.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"elementor-form\" method=\"post\" name=\"Contact Form\" aria-label=\"Contact Form\">\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"post_id\" value=\"163\"\/>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_id\" value=\"163\"\/>\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"referer_title\" value=\"LCL China to UK - Mercator Cargo Systems\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"queried_id\" value=\"8495\"\/>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-form-fields-wrapper elementor-labels-above\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-text elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-name elementor-col-50 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-name\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tName\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"text\" name=\"form_fields[name]\" id=\"form-field-name\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"Jane Doe\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-email elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-email elementor-col-50 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"email\" name=\"form_fields[email]\" id=\"form-field-email\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"sales@mercatorcargo.co.uk\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-text elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-field_1e5894a elementor-col-50 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-field_1e5894a\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCompany Name\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"text\" name=\"form_fields[field_1e5894a]\" id=\"form-field-field_1e5894a\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"e.g Mercator Cargo\" required=\"required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-tel elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-field_d0d8f2c elementor-col-50 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-field_d0d8f2c\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhone Number\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input size=\"1\" type=\"tel\" name=\"form_fields[field_d0d8f2c]\" id=\"form-field-field_d0d8f2c\" class=\"elementor-field elementor-size-sm  elementor-field-textual\" placeholder=\"02392 756575\" required=\"required\" pattern=\"[0-9()#&amp;+*-=.]+\" title=\"Only numbers and phone characters (#, -, *, etc) are accepted.\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-textarea elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-message elementor-col-100 elementor-field-required elementor-mark-required\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for=\"form-field-message\" class=\"elementor-field-label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMessage\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<textarea class=\"elementor-field-textual elementor-field  elementor-size-sm\" name=\"form_fields[message]\" id=\"form-field-message\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"To Request a Quote please provide collection &amp; delivery postcodes, plus weights and dimensions\" required=\"required\"><\/textarea>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-type-recaptcha_v3 elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-group-field_15c0bab elementor-col-100 recaptcha_v3-inline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field\" id=\"form-field-field_15c0bab\"><div class=\"elementor-g-recaptcha\" data-sitekey=\"6Ld0waAkAAAAAN_-SsX3ZgxMF0Ugbg8OUwTGiAao\" data-type=\"v3\" data-action=\"Form\" data-badge=\"inline\" data-size=\"invisible\"><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-field-group elementor-column elementor-field-type-submit elementor-col-20 e-form__buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-sm\" type=\"submit\" id=\"#contact-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Submit<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/form>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shipping lines began re-routing their cargo ships back in December 2023 \/ January 2024, following attacks on commercial shipping vessels by Houthis.\u00a0 The re-routing has involved a 3,000 mile diversion around the Cape of Good Hope, in order to avoid the Red Sea and minimise risks on sea freight vessels and crew.\u00a0 This routing has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[22,115,24,26,28,51,1102,54,1103],"class_list":["post-8390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-global-news","tag-freight-forwarder","tag-freight-forwarder-uk","tag-freight-forwarding","tag-freight-forwarding-services","tag-freight-services","tag-ocean-freight","tag-red-sea","tag-sea-freight","tag-shipping-diversions"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercatorcargo.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}