The Suez Canal brought in $ 6.3 billion in 2021, the “highest” billing ever recorded on this eastern Egyptian maritime trade route, despite the historic blockade in March.
The figure represents an increase of 13% compared to 2020, said the president of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Osama Rabie, in a statement, explaining that 1.27 billion tons of cargo passed through the canal, “which which exceeds all the figures recorded so far “.
The number of ships that used the canal reached 20,694, compared to 18,830 in 2020, that is, more than 56 ships a day, the public body indicated.
And all this despite the blockade of the canal in March by the gigantic container ship “Ever Given”, which caused a major disruption to world maritime trade.
On March 23, the ship ran aground on its bow on the eastern bank of the pass, completely blocking traffic for six days.
According to the SCA, Egypt lost between $ 12 million and $ 15 million per day of closure and one of its employees died while the ship was refloating.
Situated between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal carries around 10% of the world’s maritime trade and is a valuable source of foreign exchange for Egypt.