عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

Oil Tankers Continue Red Sea Movements despite Houthi Attacks

COSCO has suspended shipping to Israel via the Red Sea over rising tensions in those waters. Reuters
COSCO has suspended shipping to Israel via the Red Sea over rising tensions in those waters. Reuters
TT
20
TT

Oil Tankers Continue Red Sea Movements despite Houthi Attacks

COSCO has suspended shipping to Israel via the Red Sea over rising tensions in those waters. Reuters
COSCO has suspended shipping to Israel via the Red Sea over rising tensions in those waters. Reuters

Israel's Transport Ministry on Tuesday said it was seeking to clarify Chinese shipper COSCO's reported decision to halt shipping to Israel.

Israeli media this week reported that COSCO had suspended shipping to Israel via the Red Sea over rising tensions in those waters.

“The Administration of Shipping and Ports is working with the relevant parties to clarify the Chinese shipping company's announcement to stop sailing to Israel,” the Transport Ministry said in response to a Reuters query.

Hong Kong-listed shares of Cosco were down 3% on Monday.

Cosco is China's largest shipping firm and holds almost 11% of the trade market share.

Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), which is a part of Cosco Shipping Group, has also suspended sailing to the Red Sea and stopped accepting Israel-bound cargo since December, citing operational issues.

“COSCO's decision is significant because it cooperates with Israeli shipping line ZIM, which will have to operate more ships on the Far East routes,” Globes reported.

Cosco has another line it jointly operates with Zim. In an e-mail to CNBC, Zim confirmed that it will continue its operations.

Oil and fuel tanker traffic in the Red Sea was stable in December, even though many container ships have rerouted due to attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi militants, a Reuters analysis of vessel tracking data showed.

The attacks have driven up shipping costs sharply along with insurance premiums, but have had less impact than feared on oil flows, with shippers continuing to use the key East-West passage. The Houthis, who have said they are targeting Israel-bound vessels, have largely attacked non-petroleum goods shipments.

The added costs have not made a big difference to most shippers so far because the Red Sea remains much more affordable than sending cargo around Africa.

But the situation bears watching with some oil companies like BP and Equinor diverting cargoes to the longer route. Also, increased shipping costs are likely to boost exports of US crude to some European buyers, experts said.

“We haven't really seen the interruption to tanker traffic that everyone was expecting,” said Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a shipping analyst at Lloyd's List.

Most Viewed

 
Business

Dollar Tumbles as Investors Seek Safe Havens after US Tariffs

US Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
TT
20
TT

Dollar Tumbles as Investors Seek Safe Havens after US Tariffs

US Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

The dollar weakened broadly on Thursday, while the euro rallied after President Donald Trump announced harsher-than-expected tariffs on US trading partners, unsettling markets as investors flocked to safe havens such as the yen and Swiss franc.

The highly anticipated tariff announcement sent shockwaves through markets, with global stocks sinking and investors scrambling to the safety of bonds as well as gold.

Trump said he would impose a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the United States and higher duties on some of the country's biggest trading partners.

The new levies ratchet up a trade war that Trump kicked off on his return to the White House, rattling markets as fears grow that a full-blown trade war could trigger a sharp global economic slowdown and fuel inflation, Reuters reported.

The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six others, fell 1.6% to 102.03, its lowest since early October.

The euro, the largest component in the index, gained 1.5% to a six-month high of $1.1021.

Trump has already imposed tariffs on aluminium, steel and autos, and has increased duties on all goods from China.

"Eye-watering tariffs on a country-by-country basis scream 'negotiation tactic', which will keep markets on edge for the foreseeable future," said Adam Hetts, global head of multi-asset and portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors.

The risk-sensitive Australian dollar added 0.56% to $0.63365, while the New Zealand dollar climbed 0.9% to $0.5796.

The yen strengthened to a three-week high against the dollar and was last up 1.7% at 146.76 per dollar, while the Swiss franc touched its strongest level in five months at 0.86555 per dollar.

"Negotiations are now going to be front of mind. This is probably the other big part of why we're seeing some of these currencies outperform," said Nicholas Rees, Head Of Macro Research at Monex Europe.

"It's very difficult actually to see how other countries make concessions that would encourage the US to lift these tariffs. And I think that's a big underpriced risk."

Investors are worried that some US trading partners could retaliate with measures of their own, leading to higher prices.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen described the tariffs as a major blow to the world economy and said the 27-member bloc was prepared to respond with countermeasures if talks with Washington failed.

Worries about a global trade war have intensified since Trump stepped into the White House in January, combining with a slew of weaker-than-expected US data to stoke recession fears and undermine the dollar.

The dollar index is down more than 5.7% this year.

"These tariffs have certainly significantly increased the risks to the downside for global growth, so on balance we think that will eventually start to become more supportive again for the dollar," said Lee Hardman, senior currency analyst at MUFG.

In Asia currencies, China's onshore yuan slid to its weakest level against the dollar since February 13. China's offshore yuan also hit a two-month low.

The Vietnamese dong slumped to a record low.

Elsewhere, the Mexican peso and Canadian dollar strengthened.

Canada and Mexico, the two largest US trading partners, already face 25% tariffs on many goods and will not face additional levies from Wednesday's announcement.