Ikea has warned of shipment delays due to recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
The Swedish furniture retailer has become the latest to issue such a warning, given an increasing number of attacks on ships passing through the Suez Canal by Houthi rebels in Yemen since October’s outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.
“The situation in the Suez Canal will result in delays and may cause availability constraints for certain Ikea products,” an Ikea spokesperson said.
Ikea is working “to ensure the safety of people working in the Ikea value chain and to take all the necessary precautions to keep them safe,” the spokesperson added.
Drones and rockets have been used against foreign container ships during attacks, prompting shipping operators to assess different routes.
BP PLC (LSE:BP.) announced it would temporarily pause transit through the Red Sea earlier this week in light of the violence, with many major shipping companies taking a similar line.
British Retail Consortium food and sustainability director Andrew Opie reassured the rerouting of vessels would not affect the shipment of goods for the holiday season, given many would already be in the UK.
However, the impact could be felt in the new year, he warned, as many ships are forced to take the 3,500 nautical mile detour around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid danger.
“In the longer term, some goods may take longer to be shipped, as they are routed via longer routes,” he said.
Ikea, like many other European firms, sources large proportions of products from China, with the Suez Canal usually key in transporting shipments of such goods from Asia.