Egyptian authorities seized the once-given cargo ship that was in the Suez Canal for several days last month and ordered the ship’s owner to pay $ 900 million in damages.
CNN reports that the Egyptian authorities have ordered the owner of the Ever Given, the Japanese charter carrier Shoei Kisen Kaisha, to pay the hefty bill for the losses caused by the traffic stop that the ship caused. According to the Egyptian state news agency Al Ahram, the bill also includes maintenance costs and costs for rescue operations.
Shoei Kisen Kaisha responded by saying insurance companies and attorneys were handling compensation complaints and declined to comment further, CNN reports.
The Ever Given was successfully lifted on March 29 after being detained for almost a week. The ship had prevented more than 450 other ships from passing through the canal. The Suez Canal was fully reopened on April 3.
Shortly after the ship was freed, Suez Canal Authority chief Lieutenant General Ossama Rabei reportedly said Egypt could ask for up to $ 1 billion in compensation for both lost transit costs and the cost of the tugs used to carry the boat. to dislodge to cover.
“This is the law of the land,” Rabei said at the time.
CNN reports that UK Club, one of the marine insurers, questioned the basis of Egypt’s claim.
“Despite the magnitude of the claim being largely unsupported, the owners and their insurers negotiated in good faith with the SCA. On April 12, a carefully considered and generous offer was made to the SCA to settle their claim,” said UK Club said in response to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) claim.
Ever Given’s technical managers, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), said the ship would sail to Port Said on the Mediterranean before being detained, according to CNN.
“The SCA’s decision to arrest the ship is extremely disappointing,” said Ian Beveridge, CEO of BSM, according to CNN. “From the outset, BSM and the crew on board have fully cooperated with all authorities, including the SCA and their respective grounding investigations … BSM’s primary goal is a rapid resolution of this issue that will allow the ship and crew to depart the Suez Canal. “