Cargo ship sets sail three months after blocking Suez Canal

The Ever Given cargo ship, which blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week in March, set sail Wednesday after spending three months under seizure by the Egyptian government.

A ceremony was held at the canal to mark the departure of the ship that had unintentionally blocked an enormous percentage of global trade, according to NBC News. This development comes after a local court approved a request from the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) to lift the seizure on the boat.

“I give the permission for the Ever Given to sail,” SCA Chairman Osama Rabie said at the ceremony.

A spokesperson for the ship’s Japanese owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. told NBC that they will continue to be a “loyal customer” to the Suez Canal. The spokesperson also expressed gratitude to the ship’s crew who stayed on board while it was stuck in Egypt.

Ever Given, the ship that blocked the Suez Canal for 6 days, leaves the Suez Canal on its way to Rotterdam.#BREAKING #Egypt #Suez #SuezCanal #EVERGIVEN #Evergreen | #قناة_السويس #السفينة_الجائحة pic.twitter.com/ONR5WpTDIq

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) July 7, 2021

The ship was seized by the Egyptian government in April while negotiations for compensation were held between the government and the ship’s insurer the UK P&I Club. The SCA initially demanded more than $900 million in compensation, but reportedly lowered this amount to $550 million.

A settlement was announced in June though the terms of the settlement were not disclosed at the time.

“The UK Club is pleased to announce that, following extensive discussions with the Suez Canal Authority’s negotiating committee over the past few weeks, an agreement in principle between the parties has been reached,” the ship’s insurance company said at the time. “Together with the owner and the ship’s other insurers we are now working with the SCA to finalise a signed settlement agreement as soon as possible.”