Why does global maritime freight still detour around Africa three years after the Red Sea shipping disruptions?

Bilginet Global Geopolitics Desk — The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, historically accommodating 12% of worldwide trade and 30% of global container traffic, remains subject to prolonged supply chain realignments.

Over 68% of commercial cargo vessels bypass the Suez Canal entirely, opting for the longer Cape of Good Hope route. This structural deviation adds roughly 3,500 nautical miles and 10 to 14 days per single voyage, driving prolonged inflationary pressures across European retail inventories.