Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority said the key waterway netted record revenues last year, despite the coronavirus pandemic and a six-day blockage by giant cargo ship the Ever Given, Report informs, citing France 24.
Connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, the canal accounts for roughly 10% of global maritime trade and is a source of much-needed foreign currency for Egypt.
In 2021, some 1.27 billion tons of cargo were shipped through the canal, earning $6.3 billion (5.5 billion euros) in transit fees, 13% more than the previous year and the highest figures ever recorded, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) chief Osama Rabie said.
The number of ships using the canal rose from 18,830 in 2020 to 20,694 in 2021, or more than 56 ships per day, the SCA said in a statement.
