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How did the Ever Given blockage affect global shipping?

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Cargo ships travel along the wide Suez Canal in Egypt, bordered by sandy desert on one side and greenery on the other. — Suez Canal Ships in the Suez Canal in Egypt. One of the world's most important shipping lanes, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The blockage of the Suez Canal by the container ship Ever Given in March 2021 significantly disrupted global trade, highlighting the waterway's critical role as a primary artery for international commerce.12

Because the canal serves as the shortest route between Europe and Asia and handles approximately 15 percent of the world’s shipping traffic, the six-day obstruction caused severe strain on a global supply chain that was already struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The vessel, which measured 400 meters (1,312 feet) in length, became wedged diagonally in a single-lane passage during a sandstorm, effectively halting all transit between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.231

In response to the incident, the Suez Canal Authority undertook infrastructure improvements to prevent future bottlenecks, including widening approximately 30 km of the canal, deepening it to 22 meters, and constructing a 10-km parallel channel to facilitate increased two-way traffic.12