Ever Given, the ship that blocked the Suez Canal, arrives in Rotterdam

The nearly 200,000-tonne container vessel became wedged across the canal during a sandstorm on March 23, blocking a vital artery from Asia to Europe that carries 10 percent of global maritime trade and provides Egypt with vital revenues. After a round-the-clock salvage operation to dislodge it, Egypt seized the ship and demanded compensation from owners Shoei Kisen Kaisha for lost canal revenues, salvage costs and damage to the canal. (Image: AFP)

The container ship Ever Given, which got stuck in the Suez Canal for six days in March, arrived in the Dutch port of Rotterdam on Thursday after being released by authorities in Egypt.

It was scheduled to dock at Rotterdam’s ECT Delta terminal for unloading until Aug. 3 before departing for Felixstowe, England, the port said.

The vessel, one of the world’s largest container ships, became jammed across the canal in high winds on March 23,halting traffic in both directions and disrupting global trade.

Roughly 15% of world shipping traffic transits the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The 400-metre (1,312-foot) vessel, which is carrying about 18,300 containers, left Egypt on July 7, 106 days after becoming wedged across a southern section of the waterway.