NORFOLK, Va. — Fighting between Israel and Hamas continues, and it's impacting the maritime industry.
As of Jan. 3, global shipping company Maersk had indefinitely paused company shipping in the Red Sea.
Cargo ships continue to be attacked, but the Virginia Maritime Association could provide some help for companies in the maritime industry.
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At the association's office in Norfolk, Executive Director David White always has something to keep him busy.
“There’s one thing about our industry, there’s always something for us to be working on," said White.
The shipping disruption in the Red Sea can now be added to that list.
The association has hundreds of members that represent all aspects of the maritime industry. The association also includes a committee that can potentially help the companies address issues.
"If there are impacts that affect one aspect of the industry, typically they will bubble up through that committee structure or we will get calls from our members that are letting us know. ‘Hey, this is going on. This is what we’re feeling, this is what we’re seeing.’ From that, if there is a role for the association we will consider what that role ought to be," White explained.
That role is often educating companies.
"A lot of times, in situations like this that are much bigger than our port, it’s typically making sure that our member companies are informed, have the business intelligence to plan and respond appropriately themselves," said White.
Maersk had a ship attacked in the Red Sea over the weekend as the company was implementing a 48-hour pause on shipping in the sea.
The pause was indefinitely extended after the attack, a major kink for the roughly 11 billion tons of goods shipped by companies each year, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.
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“We have begun to see some ships already whose schedules have been impacted," White said.
He expects the number of schedule changes and delays to increase in the coming weeks.
Other companies including BP, were also avoiding the Red Sea as of Jan. 3. In December, BP announced a pause on all of the company’s shipping through the Red Sea due to attacks. That announcement caused oil and natural gas prices to increase.
