DIGIVESTASI - The cost of transporting cargo through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, the world's main shipping lanes, has increased by more than 300% since November due to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels believed to be linked to Israel.

This data was obtained by Sky News from data analyzed by global logistics company DSV. The most commonly used cost measure, the Shanghai Container Freight Index (SCFI) transportation cost rose to $3,101 per 20-foot container from $2,871 last Friday (1/12).

Based on the data, the total price of containers shipped from Shanghai to Europe is said to have increased by 310% compared to the initial November price.

Since mid-October, the Houthi group, which supports Gaza, has fired several drones and missiles at commercial ships in the Red Sea and conducted warship patrols in the Gaza Strip.

They carried out more than 20 attacks, forcing cargo giants such as MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd to change cargo routes around the southern tip of Africa, avoiding the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. The rerouting added more than 10 days to the trip and caused insurance premiums to skyrocket. At the same time, employee wage costs increased and longer travel distances forced transportation companies to use additional fuel.

Despite the sharp rise in prices, shipping costs are still below levels recorded in March 2021, when the 400-meter-long container ship Ever Give was stranded blocking the Suez Canal, rendering the vital trade route impassable for six days.

The incident reportedly left hundreds of ships stranded, impacting global trade worth $9 billion per day. Earlier this week, the US and UK launched airstrikes against the Houthi militia in Yemen in response to the group's actions in the Red Sea and Gulf. These actions received mixed reactions from the international community, with many warning that this would lead to an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.