The Ever Given remains in Great Bitter Lake as discussions continue over the Suez Canal Authority's claims from the six-day canal blockage continues.
The 20,388-teu, 2018-built containership is being held by court order, Reuters reported on Tuesday, after its third-party insurer, the UK P&I Club, had its offer rejected by the authority.
The claims, first estimated to be around $1bn, are now around $916m, the newswire reported.
"Despite the magnitude of the claim, which was largely unsupported, the owners and their insurers have been negotiating in good faith with the SCA," the UK P&I Club told Reuters.
"On 12 April, a carefully considered and generous offer was made to the SCA to settle their claim. We are disappointed by the SCA’s subsequent decision to arrest the vessel today."
The club said the Suez Canal Authority is looking for a $300m salvage bonus and another $300m for loss of reputation.
The Ever Given ran aground in the canal, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, on 23 March due to weather conditions.
The ship remained there, nearly perpendicular to the canal channel, until 29 March when crews were able to refloat it. It then proceeded to the Great Bitter Lake, which separates the northern and southern portions of the canal for inspection.
The six-day blockage caused hundreds of ships to back up on either end of the key waterway, disrupting global trade and pushing shipping rates up.
The initial $1bn figure came after canal authority chairman and managing director Osama Rabie made comments to local media. The organisation was then weighing a claim for loss of revenue, damage to the canal, salvage assistance and reputational damage.
Reuters reported Rabie told a local TV station suffered "great moral damage" in the grounding, but sought to resolve the claims amicably.
He said would not leave until the canal authority carried out its investigation, set for completion this week, and compensation paid.
