International cargo transportation through the Suez Canal and alternative routes (by the example of China-EU)

Abstract

The Suez Canal occupies a prominent place in world trade. However, the six-day blockage of the Suez Canal by a megaship “Ever Given”, chartered by the Taiwanese company “Evergreen Marine”, triggered a wave of discussions about alternative Asia-Europe transport routes. This accident revealed the dangers of the freight flows concentration on this route for the world trade and supply chains. So, search for alternatives for diversifying transport routes becomes an objective necessity in case of arising unpredictable situations. The paper aims to assess the prospects for diversification of China-EU transport routes, consider competitiveness of existing ones and the advantages and disadvantages of alternatives.