Egyptian judge rules the Ever Given cannot leave local waterways just yet

• The Ever Given container ship grounded itself in the Suez Canal for nearly a week in March.
• Egyptian authorities are holding the ship in local waterways until a compensation demand is met.
• Egyptian courts rejected an appeal from the Ever Given’s insurer; it’ll stay anchored indefinitely.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The Ever Given will remain anchored in the Great Bitter Lake after an Egyptian court upheld a previous ruling on Tuesday preventing the ship from leaving the country. 

The court’s decision came from the city of Ismailia, the same court that initially approved the seizing of the vessel. The decision arose from an appeal from the UK Club, the vessel’s protection and indemnity insurer. Reuters reported the group said the original appeal was made “on several grounds, including the validity of the arrest obtained in respect of the cargo and the lack of supporting evidence for the SCA’s very significant claim.” 

The massive Ever Given container ship grounded itself in the Suez Canal on March 23, blocking all traffic in the canal for six days. The Suez Canal Authority filed an approximately $916 million claim against the owner of the Ever Given, Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., for compensation arising from the accident.

Osama Rabie, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, told local media in April the ship would remain in the region until the debt was paid.

“We hope for a speedy agreement,” Rabie said. “The minute they agree to compensation, the vessel will be allowed to move.”

The UK Club said the nearly $1 billion demand by the Suez Canal Authority is “largely unsupported,” especially the $300 million claim for “loss of reputation.”

Abdulgani Serang, the general secretary-cum-treasurer of the National Union of Seafarers in India, previously told Insider the 25-person Indian crew were in good spirits and have been treated well due to union agreements with the ship’s technical manager, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement.

The vessel itself is stuck in the Great Bitter Lake, but three members were permitted to leave the ship after their contracts expired, and two others were allowed to leave for personal matters.

The Suez Canal Authority is currently investigating the causes behind the shipwreck. Some experts have pointed to a local windstorm as a principal reason behind the accident, a suggestion Rabie denies. He said the incident likely happened because of technical or human error, but did not elaborate any further.

The final results of the Suez Canal Authority’s investigation have not been released and a timetable for its publication has not been announced.

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