Reinsurance Payouts Expected to Cost Hundreds of Millions in Suez Canal Blockage

About 400 vessels were impacted by the closure of the canal. (AP)
About 400 vessels were impacted by the closure of the canal. (AP)
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Reinsurance Payouts Expected to Cost Hundreds of Millions in Suez Canal Blockage

About 400 vessels were impacted by the closure of the canal. (AP)
About 400 vessels were impacted by the closure of the canal. (AP)

Reinsurers will likely bear most of the expense for the grounding of a giant container ship that halted shipping traffic through the Suez Canal last month. Payouts are expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

International shipping through the canal ground to a halt when the 400-meter Ever Given ran aground and blocked the canal on March 23. It took nearly a week for rescue teams to free the vessel.

About 400 vessels were impacted by the closure of the canal, with some having to take the much longer route around Africa to deliver their cargo.

Ships usually have protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance, which covers third-party liability claims. Separate hull and machinery insurance covers ships against physical damage.

Alan Mackinnon, chief claims officer for UK Club, the Ever Given’s P&I insurer, told Reuters that the club expected a claim against the ship’s owner from canal authorities for possible damage to the waterway and loss of revenue. The club also expects separate claims for compensation from the owners of some of the delayed ships.

“I expect we will get a claim from the Egyptian authorities quite soon, and the claims from the other shipowners will trickle in over the coming months,” Mackinnon said.

Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, said last month that losses and damages from the blockage could hit around $1 billion, although the actual amount would be calculated after investigations are completed.

The UK Club will cover the first $10 million in P&I losses, Reuters reported. After that, a wider pool of P&I insurers will cover up to $100 million. At that point, reinsurers would step in to cover up to $2.1 billion in claims, and P&I insurers would contribute for part of a further $1 billion in coverage, according to Reuters.

When asked if claims could reach the upper limits of coverage – around $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion – Mackinnon told Reuters that “We are confident we are not in that territory at all.”

“This is not an existential moment for the P&I sector,” Mackinnon said. “It may be a large claim, but we are structured to deal with large claims.”

DBRS Morningstar analysts said that total insured losses “will remain manageable given the relatively short period of time that the canal was blocked.”

However, Lloyd’s of London said last week that the blockage was likely to result in a “large loss” of at least $100 million for the commercial insurance and reinsurance market.

Yumi Shinohara, deputy manager of the fleet management department of Shoei Kisen, the Japanese company that owns the Ever Given, told Reuters that the company had not yet received any claims for compensation.



Lebanon’s Struggling Economy Slides Toward Full Recession

The Jousieh crossing between Lebanon and Syria following an Israeli strike on October 25. (AFP)
The Jousieh crossing between Lebanon and Syria following an Israeli strike on October 25. (AFP)
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Lebanon’s Struggling Economy Slides Toward Full Recession

The Jousieh crossing between Lebanon and Syria following an Israeli strike on October 25. (AFP)
The Jousieh crossing between Lebanon and Syria following an Israeli strike on October 25. (AFP)

The ongoing Israeli war on Lebanon has led to significant economic losses estimated between $10 billion and $20 billion.

This range reflects the difficulty in accurately assessing the damage amid Israel’s ongoing military operations, including airstrikes and ground attacks.

The destruction of homes, infrastructure, and farmland has contributed to a state of uncertainty, along with an unprecedented wave of displacement affecting many families.

Experts agree that reliable economic data is hard to obtain while the conflict continues.

Reports from the Ministry of Health and international organizations said nearly 3,000 people have been killed and around 15,000 injured, mostly civilians.

Additionally, about 1.4 million people have been displaced from their homes, representing roughly a quarter of Lebanon’s population.

Growing economic crisis ahead

The war came at a time when Lebanon’s economy was already struggling after five years of crisis.

According to Mohammad Choucair, head of the Economic Bodies Association, the situation is worsening rapidly, threatening serious economic and social consequences.

Current estimates suggest that direct losses from the conflict could reach between $10 billion and $12 billion, impacting various sectors.

As the war continues, key sectors like tourism, agriculture, and trade are experiencing a sharp decline in business activity.

Many small and medium-sized enterprises are being forced to close or suspend operations due to direct damage from attacks, reduced consumer demand, and disruptions in trade and supply chains caused by the influx of displaced people.

International financial institutions are warning that the ongoing Israeli attacks could continue for several more months, possibly lasting until mid-2025.

The Institute of International Finance (IIF) forecasts a 7% contraction in Lebanon’s GDP by the end of this year, followed by a 10% decline next year.

This would bring the total economic decline to nearly 60% from the peak GDP of around $53 billion recorded at the end of 2018.