By : JD
Jordan Daily – A group of Jordanian traders called on authorities to urgently intervene to resolve the crisis of their shipping containers, which have been stuck for nearly two months. The containers were shipped from China in late November or early December last year and were scheduled to arrive at Aqaba Port on December 28, 2024.
However, a series of delays and logistical issues have left the containers stranded in the Red Sea since January 28, 2025. No official explanations have been provided by the shipping company or its Jordanian agent regarding the reasons for the sudden halt.
Trader Abdullah Abu Omar expressed deep frustration over the lack of clarity surrounding the issue. He said no concrete information had been provided on the underlying causes, fueling speculation about the possibility of a technical malfunction, a maritime incident, or issues related to hazardous cargo such as batteries, fireworks, or other flammable goods.
Despite receiving weekly updates from the operating company, Abu Omar said the communications contained only vague, diplomatically worded statements that neither held the company accountable nor offered any clear explanation for the ship’s delay.
With their shipments stalled for such an extended period, the traders have incurred heavy losses, missing key commercial seasons such as holidays, which severely impacted their businesses. Many of the traders rely on these goods to maintain the cash flow necessary to keep their operations running, Abu Omar added.
As the crisis escalated, the traders reached out to the company’s agent in Jordan. Initially, the agent downplayed the issue, estimating that the number of Jordanian containers aboard the ship was no more than 800. However, it was later confirmed that over 1,800 containers belonging to Jordanian traders were on board, compared to just 16 destined for Egypt’s Sokhna Port and 20 for Jeddah Port in Saudi Arabia.
