Ever Given: Cargo ship that blocked Suez Canal released after settlement reached

In this photo released by Suez Canal Authority, the Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, is pulled by one of the Suez Canal tugboats, in the Suez Canal, Egypt, Monday, March 29, 2021. Engineers on Monday "partially refloated " the colossal container ship that continues to block traffic through the Suez Canal, authorities said, without providing further details about when the vessel would be set free. (Suez Canal Authority via AP)

ISMAILIA, Egypt — Suez Canal authorities have announced the release of a hulking shipping vessel that blocked the crucial east-west waterway for nearly a week earlier this year.

The Ever Given is leaving the Suez Canal after its Japanese owner, Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., reached a settlement with the canal authorities over a compensation amount after more than three months of negotiations and a court standoff.

The settlement deal was signed in a ceremony Wednesday in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, after which the vessel was seen sailing to the Mediterranean.

The vessel ran aground in March, blocking the crucial waterway for six days. It has been since held amid a financial dispute.

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