China firms seek ways around blocked Suez Canal

Ships wait to pass the Suez Canal in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt, on March 26, 2021. - Xinhua

BEIJING (Global Times): As a tariff jam in the Suez Canal caused by a massive containership continues, many Chinese firms are scrambling for ways out of the predicament, with some re-routing their ships and others opting for the China-Europe train services, maritime industry practitioners and experts told the Global Times.

A 200,000-tonne ship operated by Evergreen Marine based in the island of Taiwan ran aground last week in the southern part of the Suez Canal, blocking one of the busiest trade routes in the world and creating an ocean-borne traffic jam. Efforts to free the vessel have failed so far, media reports said.