Lack of toll funds forced charter vessel Hanjin Switzerland (owned by the Ciner group) to turn back from the Suez Canal.
Having made a U-turn, the ship is currently drifting south of the canal. Its next stop is supposed to be New York.
Ciner Ship Management CE, Vasileios Papakalodoukas, told Lloyd’s List Intelligence that the vessel had not made the voyage through the canal because Hanjin did not have authorisation to spend money on canal fees. The line needed permission from the court to spend any funds, he added.
Hanjin is also US$17.9m in arrears to Ciner for four chartered vessels.
