The navigation difficulties caused by the Yemeni Houthis' attacks on ships in the Red Sea jeopardized around half a billion dollars in Made in Italy fruit and vegetable exports to the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia. This is based on the economic impact of the tensions on maritime transport across the Suez Canal. The extending of sea routes between East and West, obliged to avoid the Suez Canal due to repeated terrorist assaults, has resulted in staggering rises in marine transport costs and journey times. The time it took to bring national fruit and vegetables to India via the Suez Strait was about twenty-eight days; now, having to circumnavigate the African continent, it is more than forty days, with the lengthening of the time potentially causing problems with fresh product preservation and the risk of losing important market shares that would be difficult to recover. Furthermore, expenses are expected to rise by 6/7 cents per kilogram of commodities carried, reducing the competitiveness of national exports.
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