Ever Given owner vows to remain a regular customer of Suez authority

CAIRO: Shoei Kisen Kaisha, the Japanese owner of the Ever Given cargo ship, said on Thursday that it will remain a regular and loyal customer of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).
In March, the giant container ship ran aground during its crossing of the Suez Canal, causing disruption to international traffic, particularly oil tankers.
On Wednesday, the ship resumed its journey and left the Suez Canal, 106 days after becoming wedged across a southern section of the waterway for nearly a week.
After being dislodged, it was held by the SCA under court order while the authority sought compensation from the ship’s owner and its insurers.
After protracted negotiations, an undisclosed settlement between the parties was reached and the SCA announced that the ship would be released.
In a statement, the company said it still maintains a good relationship with the SCA and that it has been strengthened through the experience.
Shoei Kisen Kaisha also thanked the authorities and those who worked to release the ship as soon as possible.
Yukito Higaki, head of Imabari Shipbuilding Co., which owns Shoei Kisen Kaisha, said the Suez Canal is one of the main pillars of international maritime trade.
In a recorded speech during the signing ceremony of the settlement agreement with the SCA, he praised the authority’s help in floating the ship safely within seven days, noting that the company owns a large fleet of ships and will remain a regular and loyal customer of the SCA.
Higaki said that the situation was difficult, and expressed his gratitude to Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, SCA chairman, and the Egyptian people for accomplishing the task of floating the ship.
He expressed his happiness over the “excellent relationship” between the ship-owning company and the SCA that had been maintained and had even been enhanced through the success of floating the ship.