Maersk reaches settlement over ship that blocked the Suez Canal

COPENHAGEN : A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S settled a Danish lawsuit against the companies behind a ship that blocked the Suez Canal in 2021, forcing shipping lines to delay or divert vessels and causing global disruption of supply lines.

“We can confirm that we have withdrawn the case in Denmark,” the Copenhagen-based company said by email on Thursday. The Danish shipping giant declined to disclose the details of the settlement and wouldn’t identity the companies or individuals it had sued. The ship in question, the Ever Given, was operated by Evergreen Marine Corp.

Maersk had sought 300 million kroner ($44 million) at Denmark’s Maritime and Commercial Court over losses caused by the event. Evergreen denied it has liability for any damages to Maersk.

The ship was stuck for six days in March 2021 but the event disrupted global shipping for months. Maersk controls about 15% of the world’s container fleet, while Evergreen has about 6%, according to shipping consultant Alphaliner.