Container ship Ever Given grounds and blocks the Suez Canal

Started 2021-03-23 (23 March 2021), ended 2021-03-29 (29 March 2021). Scroll to follow the record one dated step at a time. Read the full event record.

Transits, all vessel types, Suez Canal, 2021-01-22 (22 January 2021) to 2021-04-22 (22 April 2021): values ranged from 2 transits per day on 2021-03-25 to 88 transits per day on 2021-04-03. The shaded band marks the event window, 2021-03-23 to 2021-03-29. Small marks on the line show the dates of the timeline steps.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-10-28 (28 October 2026).

Transits, all vessel types, Suez Canal (transits per day), daily values shown in the story chart.
Date	transits per day
2021-01-22	53
2021-01-23	46
2021-01-24	68
2021-01-25	54
2021-01-26	48
2021-01-27	43
2021-01-28	49
2021-01-29	61
2021-01-30	53
2021-01-31	46
2021-02-01	50
2021-02-02	50
2021-02-03	64
2021-02-04	57
2021-02-05	66
2021-02-06	40
2021-02-07	43
2021-02-08	53
2021-02-09	55
2021-02-10	65
2021-02-11	67
2021-02-12	65
2021-02-13	60
2021-02-14	55
2021-02-15	50
2021-02-16	41
2021-02-17	50
2021-02-18	59
2021-02-19	69
2021-02-20	66
2021-02-21	47
2021-02-22	54
2021-02-23	62
2021-02-24	50
2021-02-25	65
2021-02-26	65
2021-02-27	43
2021-02-28	64
2021-03-01	64
2021-03-02	51
2021-03-03	65
2021-03-04	58
2021-03-05	61
2021-03-06	54
2021-03-07	65
2021-03-08	57
2021-03-09	69
2021-03-10	61
2021-03-11	56
2021-03-12	54
2021-03-13	50
2021-03-14	58
2021-03-15	52
2021-03-16	57
2021-03-17	47
2021-03-18	51
2021-03-19	61
2021-03-20	54
2021-03-21	48
2021-03-22	59
2021-03-23	38
2021-03-24	14
2021-03-25	2
2021-03-26	9
2021-03-27	9
2021-03-28	10
2021-03-29	33
2021-03-30	65
2021-03-31	63
2021-04-01	77
2021-04-02	77
2021-04-03	88
2021-04-04	87
2021-04-05	48
2021-04-06	78
2021-04-07	69
2021-04-08	77
2021-04-09	88
2021-04-10	69
2021-04-11	68
2021-04-12	45
2021-04-13	46
2021-04-14	50
2021-04-15	48
2021-04-16	55
2021-04-17	54
2021-04-18	48
2021-04-19	59
2021-04-20	56
2021-04-21	55
2021-04-22	55

What happened
On 2021-03-23 (23 March 2021) the container ship Ever Given grounded on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal at kilometre 151, in the southern section of the waterway, and came to rest across the channel. The vessel was fifth in a northbound convoy and was bound from China to Rotterdam, so the blockage sat on the Asia to North Europe route. Traffic stopped in both directions while the canal authority ran dredging and towing work. The ship was pulled clear on 2021-03-29 (29 March 2021) and taken to the Great Bitter Lake for inspection, and transits restarted the same day. The canal authority said the queue of 422 ships held by the closure finished transiting on 2021-04-03 (3 April 2021). The flag state investigation recorded no deaths or injuries.
2021-03-23 (23 March 2021)
The Ever Given grounds at kilometre 151 at about 07:40 local time, the flag state investigation later timing it at 07:41. The ship lies across the channel and stops northbound and southbound traffic. [s3] [s6]
2021-03-25 (25 March 2021)
The Suez Canal Authority reports that refloating work is continuing with dredgers and tugs and that navigation through the canal is suspended. [s1]
2021-03-26 (26 March 2021)
The canal authority attributes the grounding to winds of about 40 knots and a sandstorm that cut visibility. [s4]
2021-03-29 (29 March 2021)
The canal authority announces that the vessel has been refloated, with the stern moved away from the bank, and says navigation will resume once the ship is back on course. The vessel is taken to the Great Bitter Lake. [s2]
2021-04-03 (3 April 2021)
The canal authority says the last of the 422 ships held by the closure have completed their transits. [s5]

Measured effect

Transits, all vessel types, Suez Canal

Baseline (expected): 55.4 transits per day
Observed: 16.4 transits per day
Change: -39.0 (-70.4%)
Standardised score: -4.8
Event window: 2021-03-23 to 2021-03-29 (7 days)
Baseline window: 2021-01-19 to 2021-03-15 (56 valid days)
Method: wfm-effect-1.0
Computed: 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:ede0749f94ad

Transits, all vessel types, Suez Canal, 2021-01-12 (12 January 2021) to 2021-05-10 (10 May 2021): values ranged from 2 transits per day on 2021-03-25 to 88 transits per day on 2021-04-03, with a mean of 54.4 transits per day. The latest value, for 2021-05-10, was 41 transits per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2021-03-23 to 2021-03-29.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-10-28 (28 October 2026).

Transits, all vessel types, Suez Canal (transits per day).
Date	transits per day
2021-01-12	49
2021-01-13	50
2021-01-14	51
2021-01-15	55
2021-01-16	53
2021-01-17	54
2021-01-18	49
2021-01-19	43
2021-01-20	47
2021-01-21	57
2021-01-22	53
2021-01-23	46
2021-01-24	68
2021-01-25	54
2021-01-26	48
2021-01-27	43
2021-01-28	49
2021-01-29	61
2021-01-30	53
2021-01-31	46
2021-02-01	50
2021-02-02	50
2021-02-03	64
2021-02-04	57
2021-02-05	66
2021-02-06	40
2021-02-07	43
2021-02-08	53
2021-02-09	55
2021-02-10	65
2021-02-11	67
2021-02-12	65
2021-02-13	60
2021-02-14	55
2021-02-15	50
2021-02-16	41
2021-02-17	50
2021-02-18	59
2021-02-19	69
2021-02-20	66
2021-02-21	47
2021-02-22	54
2021-02-23	62
2021-02-24	50
2021-02-25	65
2021-02-26	65
2021-02-27	43
2021-02-28	64
2021-03-01	64
2021-03-02	51
2021-03-03	65
2021-03-04	58
2021-03-05	61
2021-03-06	54
2021-03-07	65
2021-03-08	57
2021-03-09	69
2021-03-10	61
2021-03-11	56
2021-03-12	54
2021-03-13	50
2021-03-14	58
2021-03-15	52
2021-03-16	57
2021-03-17	47
2021-03-18	51
2021-03-19	61
2021-03-20	54
2021-03-21	48
2021-03-22	59
2021-03-23	38
2021-03-24	14
2021-03-25	2
2021-03-26	9
2021-03-27	9
2021-03-28	10
2021-03-29	33
2021-03-30	65
2021-03-31	63
2021-04-01	77
2021-04-02	77
2021-04-03	88
2021-04-04	87
2021-04-05	48
2021-04-06	78
2021-04-07	69
2021-04-08	77
2021-04-09	88
2021-04-10	69
2021-04-11	68
2021-04-12	45
2021-04-13	46
2021-04-14	50
2021-04-15	48
2021-04-16	55
2021-04-17	54
2021-04-18	48
2021-04-19	59
2021-04-20	56
2021-04-21	55
2021-04-22	55
2021-04-23	57
2021-04-24	53
2021-04-25	70
2021-04-26	53
2021-04-27	40
2021-04-28	48
2021-04-29	44
2021-04-30	49
2021-05-01	62
2021-05-02	56
2021-05-03	59
2021-05-04	52
2021-05-05	57
2021-05-06	60
2021-05-07	56
2021-05-08	62
2021-05-09	61
2021-05-10	41

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Transits, container ships, Suez Canal

Baseline (expected): 17.1 transits per day
Observed: 6.0 transits per day
Change: -11.1 (-64.9%)
Standardised score: -2.7
Event window: 2021-03-23 to 2021-03-29 (7 days)
Baseline window: 2021-01-19 to 2021-03-15 (56 valid days)
Method: wfm-effect-1.0
Computed: 2026-09-16 (16 September 2026), data revision 1:1fd06450c50d

Transits, container ships, Suez Canal, 2021-01-12 (12 January 2021) to 2021-05-10 (10 May 2021): values ranged from 2 transits per day on 2021-03-25 to 36 transits per day on 2021-03-30, with a mean of 16.4 transits per day. The latest value, for 2021-05-10, was 10 transits per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2021-03-23 to 2021-03-29.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-10-28 (28 October 2026).

Transits, container ships, Suez Canal (transits per day).
Date	transits per day
2021-01-12	18
2021-01-13	18
2021-01-14	13
2021-01-15	17
2021-01-16	13
2021-01-17	15
2021-01-18	11
2021-01-19	17
2021-01-20	10
2021-01-21	22
2021-01-22	22
2021-01-23	16
2021-01-24	21
2021-01-25	16
2021-01-26	15
2021-01-27	16
2021-01-28	11
2021-01-29	21
2021-01-30	18
2021-01-31	11
2021-02-01	16
2021-02-02	24
2021-02-03	14
2021-02-04	14
2021-02-05	27
2021-02-06	10
2021-02-07	13
2021-02-08	19
2021-02-09	15
2021-02-10	17
2021-02-11	17
2021-02-12	23
2021-02-13	17
2021-02-14	11
2021-02-15	18
2021-02-16	16
2021-02-17	11
2021-02-18	18
2021-02-19	20
2021-02-20	19
2021-02-21	17
2021-02-22	8
2021-02-23	21
2021-02-24	15
2021-02-25	14
2021-02-26	19
2021-02-27	16
2021-02-28	17
2021-03-01	23
2021-03-02	17
2021-03-03	14
2021-03-04	20
2021-03-05	19
2021-03-06	19
2021-03-07	16
2021-03-08	19
2021-03-09	21
2021-03-10	18
2021-03-11	16
2021-03-12	22
2021-03-13	16
2021-03-14	20
2021-03-15	13
2021-03-16	17
2021-03-17	15
2021-03-18	8
2021-03-19	19
2021-03-20	16
2021-03-21	14
2021-03-22	13
2021-03-23	20
2021-03-24	5
2021-03-25	2
2021-03-26	5
2021-03-27	2
2021-03-28	4
2021-03-29	4
2021-03-30	36
2021-03-31	12
2021-04-01	34
2021-04-02	22
2021-04-03	11
2021-04-04	25
2021-04-05	7
2021-04-06	32
2021-04-07	16
2021-04-08	28
2021-04-09	19
2021-04-10	12
2021-04-11	19
2021-04-12	15
2021-04-13	15
2021-04-14	14
2021-04-15	14
2021-04-16	16
2021-04-17	16
2021-04-18	20
2021-04-19	16
2021-04-20	20
2021-04-21	15
2021-04-22	14
2021-04-23	16
2021-04-24	21
2021-04-25	18
2021-04-26	15
2021-04-27	19
2021-04-28	12
2021-04-29	17
2021-04-30	18
2021-05-01	17
2021-05-02	18
2021-05-03	16
2021-05-04	19
2021-05-05	19
2021-05-06	13
2021-05-07	21
2021-05-08	18
2021-05-09	17
2021-05-10	10

Sources

[s1] Suez Canal Authority, Continuing the Floatation Works of the Grounding Vessel in the Suez Canal, published 2021-03-25 (25 March 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy.
[s2] Suez Canal Authority, Successful Refloating of EVER GIVEN, published 2021-03-29 (29 March 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy.
[s3] gCaptain, Grounded 'Mega Ship' Blocking Suez Canal in Both Directions, published 2021-03-23 (23 March 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy.
[s4] FreightWaves, Sandstorm, winds blamed for container ship fiasco in Suez Canal, published 2021-03-26 (26 March 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy.
[s5] Al Jazeera, Suez Canal shipping backlog cleared, published 2021-04-03 (3 April 2021), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy.
[s6] Panama Maritime Authority, Marine Safety Investigation Report: Grounding of MV Ever Given at Suez Canal Egypt on March 23, 2021 (R-026-2021-DIAM), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy.

Full event record: Container ship Ever Given grounds and blocks the Suez Canal. All stories.

Container ship Ever Given grounds and blocks the Suez Canal

What happened

Measured effect

Transits, all vessel types, Suez Canal

Transits, container ships, Suez Canal

Sources