15. The Ever Given Blockage, Suez Canal (2021)
In March 2021, the Ever Given, a massive container ship, became lodged in Egypt’s Suez Canal, blocking the vital waterway for six days. This obstruction halted over 400 vessels, disrupting global supply chains and causing an estimated $9.6 billion in daily trade losses. The incident underscored the fragility of key global trading arteries and prompted discussions on enhancing the canal’s capacity and infrastructure to prevent future blockages. The ship was eventually freed, and traffic resumed on March 29, 2021.
