Japanese shipowner Shoei Kisen Kaisha has lost its appeal against the arrest of the ultra-large containership at the centre of March's Suez Canal blockage.
The UK P&I Club, Shoei's protection and indemnity insurer, said it is now reviewing its options after the decision by the Ismailia court of the First Instance in Egypt.
The insurer has 15 days to file another appeal against the latest ruling.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) detained Shoei's 20,388-teu Ever Given (built 2018) after officials claimed $916m for the grounding of the vessel, which blocked the waterway for six days. The incident delayed more than 400 ships.
UK P&I said the appeal was made on several grounds, including the validity of the arrest and the lack of supporting evidence.
The appeal was made on Tuesday.
UK P&I said it had earlier made a “generous” offer to settle the claim and has maintained it is seeking an “amicable” settlement with the SCA.
The prolonged arrest will likely add to cargo delay and damage. Shoei has declared general average to settle cargo and salvage insurance claims.
In a separate development related to the Ever Given, three more crew members that have completed their contracts have been allowed to return home and have been replaced. Two other crew were allowed home earlier in April.
The vessel’s shipmanager — Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement — said the replacement crew completed two Covid-19 tests in the days before leaving India and were tested again on arriving in Egypt.
As a precaution, the crew members will now complete a seven-day quarantine in their individual cabins on board before assuming their full duties.
