COSCO car carrier turns back in Gulf of Aden as Houthis block Saudi shipping

Gulf of Aden, July 21. Liu Jiang Kou turned around near Djibouti.

The ship carries 7,500 car equivalents and is operated by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers, IMO 9991795. Its operator received a message from the Houthi Operations Coordination Centre. The email cancelled the clearance. The Houthis had pulled all transit clearances for ships bound for Saudi ports following an announcement on July 20 by Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree, who cited Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa airport. Lloyd's List reported Liu Jiang Kou as the first to reverse course under the new embargo.

Other ships also turned back.

The shipping context extends beyond this report: our guides explain the importance of maritime chokepoints, how conflict changes shipping routes, and why ships take longer routes.