2023-12-21 21:24:00
Traffic largely disrupted. Swedish furniture giant Ikea anticipates possible delays in deliveries and availability problems for some of its products, reports Wednesday, December 20, the American media CNN. The cause: the tense situation in the Red Sea, as Houthi rebels from Yemen carry out attacks on ships in retaliation for Israeli bombings in Gaza.
“The situation in the Suez Canal will result in delays and availability constraints for some Ikea products,” Inter Ikea Group, the furniture company’s parent company, said in a statement. “We are in close dialogue with our transport partners to ensure the safety of people working in Ikea’s value chain and to take all necessary precautions to ensure their safety,” the statement added. This is our main priority.”
Other delivery options considered
Ikea also announced that it was considering other options for shipping its products and was closely monitoring the situation. The Swedish company finally clarified that it does not own container ships, its operations being managed by “transport partners”.
On Saturday, December 16, the maritime transport giants announced that they would suspend the crossing of their ships in the Red Sea until the passage was “safe”. The Red Sea is a “motorway of the sea” connecting the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, therefore Europe to Asia. Around 20,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal each year, the entry and exit point for boats passing through the Red Sea. In recent weeks, Yemeni rebels, close to Iran, have increased attacks near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa.
#Ikea #facing #delivery #problems