Maersk to Resume Shipping in Red Sea

Maersk, one of the world's largest shipping companies, is preparing to resume ship traffic in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden. This comes after the establishment of the multi-national security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) to allow maritime ships passage through the critical Red Sea/Gulf of Aden corridor that connects Asia with Europe and the United States.

The OPG is a US-led military operation led by a predominantly Western multi-national coalition that was formed just a few days ago in response to Houthi-led attacks on Red Sea shipping.

In a trade advisory, Maersk on Sunday said it received confirmation that the previously announced multi-national security initiative OPG has now been set up and deployed to allow maritime commerce to pass through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden and once again return to using the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe.

With the OPG initiative in operation, Maersk said it is preparing to allow vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound.

"We are currently working on plans to have the first vessels make the transit as soon as operationally possible." While doing so, "ensuring the safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and our number one priority in dealing with the challenging situation in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden area," according to the advisory.

"Although security measures are in place to allow our vessels to transit the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden, the overall risk in the area has not been eliminated at this time." "Maersk will not hesitate to re-evaluate the situation and initiate diversion plans if we believe it is necessary for the safety of our seafarers," according to the advisory.