United News of Bangladesh

More than 40 container ships are still stranded in the Middle East Gulf as major shipping companies continue to suspend operations due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, according to a shipping industry report. Shipping journal Lloyd’s List said at least 43 vessels from the world’s 10 largest container carriers remain stuck in the region reported AL Jazeera Top global operators, including CMA CGM, COSCO, Hapag-Lloyd and MSC, have halted services in the area since the conflict began in late February. The disruption has caused major delays and increased costs for global trade, the report said. Some vessels from these companies managed to leave the region safely, but two ships belonging to MSC were seized by Iranian authorities, according to Lloyd’s List.

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent suspension of export and import for several months caused a 2 percent drop in the number of ships docking at Chattogram Port in 2020 compared to the previous calendar of 2019.