Exporters are scrambling to find alternative air, land, and ocean routes to get toys, apparel, tea, and auto parts to retailers as disarray ripples through freight supply chains around the world during a wave of attacks in the Red Sea.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19 to show support for Hamas during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
The attacks have disrupted a key trade route linking Europe and North America with Asia via the Suez Canal. Container shipping costs have surged, more than tripling in some cases, as companies seek to move goods via other, often longer, ocean routes.