Theodora Lau

An estimated 12% of global trade worth more than $1 trillion traverses the Red Sea each year. When Houthi rebels started attacking commercial vessels in November 2023, ocean carriers began rerouting container ships around Africa’s Cape of Good Horn rather than through the Suez Canal on voyages from Asia to Europe. That greatly increased travel time and costs. As of March of this year, shipping through the Red Sea was still down 70% from before the attacks began, according to The Economist, with many ocean carriers still avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Peninsula. Maritime Industry Caught in the Crosshairs Houthi rebels launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The Houthis attacked more than 100 cargo ships between November 2023 and January 2025. The attacks, with missiles and drones, sunk two vessels and killed four sailors. In late October 2024, a headline in gCaptain read, “Red Sea Is Now So Dangerous Even NATO Warships Are Avoiding It.” “The United States Navy continues to send warships through the Red Sea, but its mission to protect merchant ships – Operation Prosperity…

Another great week here at Supply Chain Now! Have you listened to all the episodes? If not, you can check them all out here:   We introduced a new series on Monday, with This Week in Business History, where Scott looks back at some of the biggest historical events in business history for the week ahead.   Supply Chain Now · “June 15th- This Week in Business History: Goodyear, IBM, & More”   Then on Tuesday, we continued in the Logistics with Purpose series and welcomed Melenie York with Whitehouse & Schapiro.   Supply Chain Now · “Logistics with Purpose: Melenie York with Whitehouse & Schapiro”   On Wednesday, Scott and Greg tackled the top news in supply chain on the Supply Chain Buzz.   Supply Chain Now · “Supply Chain Buzz for June 15th: Grocery, Bots, Retail Challenges, & More”   Scott and Greg were joined by Radu Palamariu with Alcott Global on Thursday, as they discussed the current supply chain talent market.   Supply Chain Now · “Key Observations in the Current Supply Chain Talent Market: Radu Palamariu with Alcott Global”   And we wrapped up the week with a world-class supply chain leader as Scott and Greg…