Toilet paper shortage: the unexpected crisis that could trigger the blockade of the Suez Canal

Again, toilet paper could be in short supply again, but now not because of the coronavirus but by the Suez Canal Stranded Ships Crisis.

Walter Schalka, Said the CEO of the Brazilian cellulose company Suzano SA Bloomberg News that the company was having difficulty transporting the raw material for the toilet paper due to the delays.

A Schalka you are concerned that shipping issues may worsen, causing major disruption to the pulp trade that could affect the supply of toilet paper if producers do not have enough stocks.

The Sao Paulo-based Suzano company accounts for around a third of the world’s hardwood pulp supplies.

About fifty boats cross the Suez Canal every days, but they have been blocked since the failure of Ever Given, registered in Taiwan.

“All South American competitors who export fractional fractions have faced this risk,” he said.

Latin America is one of the most affected regions of the world because of the crisis.

“Before the pandemic, we had freight of $ 1,500 to $ 2,000 from Asia to Latin America, but we hit rates of $ 10,000. The truth is that in my 15 years of experience in logistics i have never seen it, ”said Felipe Astudillo., vice-president of the Importers Committee of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce (Chile), to the magazine American economy.

He points out that without Brazil, freight would cost even more: “In South America we are affected because we are a lower priority. The relative weight that we have with transport companies is very low. If Brazil didn’t exist, I don’t know if the ships would arrive in South America ”.

Forced marches to liberate the Suez Canal

Dredges, tugs and even a backhoe attempted unsuccessfully on Thursday to free the giant freighter stuck in the Suez Canal., as at least 185 ships wait to cross the crucial route. Over time, losses in the shipping industry increase.

The Ever Given, a skyscraper-sized ship that transports goods between Asia and Europe, ran aground on Tuesday on the narrow man-made track that separates mainland Africa from the Sinai and connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Even with the help of the tides, authorities were unable to move the Panamanian-flagged vessel and they are looking for new ways to publish it. Work resumed this Friday morning, but so far no success has been recorded.

A review of the large number of ships, the canal and the impact of the blockade They allow us to understand the magnitude of the crisis which is keeping world trade in limbo.

The never given ship

With nearly 400 meters long, 59 wide and weighing 200,000 tons, the Ever Given is one of the largest container ships in the world, provided that the Empire State Building New York is big. Its large size makes it difficult to dig it up. Nail big yellow bulldozerAlmost twice the size of her driver, she looked like a miniature toy scratching the ground next to the bow of the ship.

The vessel, built in 2018, has the capacity of over 20,000 containers and is operated by a crew of 25, all of Indian nationality.

Peter Berdowski, director of a team of Dutch experts hired to help with the rescue operation, compared the ship to “A huge stranded whale” and indicated that it may be necessary to download the containers stacked about 30 meters high to reduce its weight and make it float again.

“We cannot rule out that it may take weeks, depending on the situation”, he told Dutch media. “It’s a huge weight on the sand. We may need to work with a combination of weight reduction by removing containers, oil and water from the ship, tugs, and sand dredging.

The Suez Canal

Around 12% of world trade and 30% of all containers transported by inland waterway pass through the Suez Canal, which makes it so strategic that the great world powers have fought for it since its completion in 1869. The link between Asia and Europe, the seaway reduce distances considerably: 6000 kilometers less between Singapore and Rotterdam, for example.

It is 193 kilometers long, 24 meters deep and 205 meters wide.. On average, a ship takes 14 hours to transit.

(With agency information)

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