[Exclusive] HMM Decides to Bypass Cape of Good Hope for 'Prestige' Ship

Proactive Response to Suez Canal Incident
Call at Thailand's Laem Chabang from UK Southampton Port
Discussion on Rerouting Alliance Joint Vessels

HMM's 5000 TEU Container Ship 'Prestige'

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Amid delays in the reopening of the Suez Canal, a key route connecting Asia and Europe, the Korean shipping company HMM has decided to reroute its temporary vessel 'HMM Prestige' around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

According to the shipping industry on the 27th, HMM's 5000TEU container ship 'HMM Prestige' departed from the Port of Southampton, UK, on the 25th (local time) and is heading to Asia.

This vessel is HMM's first temporary Europe route ship, carrying steel, auto parts, and home appliances to support domestic companies' exports. It departed from Busan Port at the end of January and has been operating routes including Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The Prestige will call at Laem Chabang, Thailand, on the 25th of next month after bypassing the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal from Southampton. It will then proceed to Vung Tau, Vietnam, and considering some changes, it is planned to arrive at Busan Port in early May. Since the route was changed to the Cape of Good Hope, the sailing distance increases by about 9,000 km, resulting in an additional 7 to 10 days of travel time.

HMM decided to reroute the Prestige around the Cape of Good Hope proactively due to concerns that the reopening of the Suez Canal could take several more weeks. The Prestige is not part of the joint operation vessels under 'THE Alliance,' a shipping alliance formed with global carriers, allowing HMM to make an independent decision.

Following the Prestige, HMM plans to monitor the salvage operations of the vessels stranded in the Suez Canal and then discuss the rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope for joint vessels with members of 'THE Alliance.' Currently, HMM's 24,000TEU ultra-large container ship 'HMM Gdansk' has been waiting near the Suez Canal for three days.

On the morning of the 23rd, the 20,000TEU ultra-large container ship 'Ever Given,' operated by Taiwanese carrier Evergreen, ran aground in the southern part of the Suez Canal while en route from China to the Netherlands.

An HMM official stated, "We prioritized the decision to reroute the temporary vessel Prestige carrying our cargo around the Cape of Good Hope due to the Suez Canal incident," adding, "After monitoring the canal restoration situation this week, we will discuss with member companies whether to reroute joint vessels and make a decision."