Evergreen Line's "Evergreen" has been stuck in the Suez Canal for a week, paralyzing freight traffic between Europe and Asia and having a huge impact on global shipping. Although the hull of the "Changci Lun" has floated, there seems to be no exact time when it will be freed.

Evergreen Shipping's "Evergreen" has been stuck in the Suez Canal for a week, paralyzing Eurasian freight traffic and having a huge impact on global shipping. An analysis by German multinational insurance company Allianz Group shows that the blockage of the Suez Canal may cause global trade losses of US$6 billion to US$10 billion per week.

Although the hull of the "Changci Ship" has floated, there seems to be no exact time when it will be freed. Here, let us trace the history of Evergreen Shipping’s founding in 53 years!

Evergreen is stuck in the canal, or may face sky-high compensation

Under night, the Evergreen "Evergreen" stuck in the Suez Canal

The Evergreen "Evergreen" stuck in the Suez Canal has attracted global attention.

It has been a full week since the Suez Canal, a shipping channel connecting Europe and Asia, fell into crisis on March 23. Taiwan's Evergreen Shipping ultra-large container ship "Changci" accidentally hit bottom and ran aground, causing a blockage in the Suez Canal.

Currently, the 400-meter-long Evergreen "Changci" cargo ship is still in place. Because the Suez Canal is a manually excavated open channel without gates, there are only 8 bends along the entire line, which are basically straight lines. In addition, the width of the canal water surface is mostly between 345-280 meters, and the width of the route between buoys is only 215-195 meters. This time, the "Changci" ultra-large container freighter that caused the "big ship jam of the century" in the canal was 400 meters long. meters, once it hits the canal, the entire canal will be blocked tightly.

There is no doubt that the grounding of this giant ship caused a "thrombosis" in the Suez Canal, the main artery of global shipping. The losses and consequences caused by it will definitely be huge. The shipowner of the "Changci" is Japan's Shoei Kisen Co., Ltd. and is operated by Taiwan's Evergreen Group. At the time of the incident, it was on its way from China to the Netherlands.

According to the latest news, a spokesman for Bemhdrd Schulte, the company that manages the Ever Given, said that the bow of the giant ship was damaged and canal water poured into two cabins. Currently, they are using high-power pumps to pump water out of the cabin, and the hull is currently in stable condition.

In other words, it is still unknown when the Evergreen "Evergreen" can sail out of the Suez Canal, and I hope there will be no new situation. Once the accident problem increases, the losses and consequences will be unimaginable.

The Evergreen "Evergreen" stuck in the Suez Canal

The Evergreen "Evergreen" has been stuck in the Suez Canal for a week, hampering the operation of global shipping trade. Although the ship moved only 30 meters, There is still a certain gap between complete transformation and the impact may be prolonged.

Based on this situation, Caroline Becquart, senior vice president of the world's second largest Mediterranean Shipping Company, said that this has become a major event that has disrupted global trade in recent years, and the economic impact on the second quarter will be more chaotic than the first quarter. Bigger and even more challenging than late last year.

Because many cargo ships cannot wait for the good news that the "Changci" is out of trouble, they have to change the Cape of Good Hope route. As the closure of the Suez Canal is extended, the number of tankers and cargo ships changing routes is likely to increase. At the time of writing, there are as many as 369 ships stuck in the Suez Canal alone, including bulk ships, container ships, liquefied natural gas ships, crop and food cargo ships, and oil tankers. Once the goods cannot be evacuated for a while, the goods on board are spoiled, scrapped, or lost due to delayed shipping, the amount will continue to increase.

Recently, it is estimated that the global loss caused by the Evergreen "Evergreen" being stuck in the canal in a single day will be as high as 9.6 billion US dollars.

Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority

The Evergreen "Evergreen" was struck by strong winds on the 23rd of this month and ran aground in the Suez Canal.Currently, the technical manager of the ship is Germany’s Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement. The company claims that large tugboats have arrived one after another to assist, and two more tugboats will arrive on March 28. In addition, several dredgers are currently dredging the stern of the "Changci Ship". In addition, high-capacity water pumps will also pump water from the ballast silo of the "Changci Ship" in order to reduce the weight of the hull.

It is worth noting that the Evergreen "Evergreen" has more than 18,000 containers. Although there was a "on-site unloading" plan before, due to the long time and possible operation, it may even cause the hull to break in two, causing It will lead to a bigger accident, which shows the difficulty of advancing the plan.

Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, said in an interview with Egyptian National Television: "The rudder of the ship could not move before, but now it can, and the propeller can now run. There was no water under the bow before, and now there is water too. "The latest news from

, "The tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop." The "Changci Lun" has moved about 98 feet (approximately 30 meters), but this "major progress" has encountered new troubles. According to a source from the Suez Canal Authority, "a huge boulder" was found at the bottom of the canal under the bow of the "Changci".

According to new news, the Suez Canal management department said that the "Changci" has emerged from the shallow water and will continue to mobilize today.

The Evergreen "Evergreen" which is in continuous rescue efforts

The "blockage" of the Evergreen "Evergreen" not only blocks a chokepoint for international shipping, but also stings the sensitive nerves of the global economy, causing The severe blow to international trade has also caused another heavy blow to the global manufacturing industry, which has just recovered from the epidemic. These losses are far greater than the estimated US$400 million per hour caused by the so-called blockage to world trade estimated by industry insiders. The impact is much more serious.

Of course, the "blockage" of Evergreen's "Evergreen" has made the already struggling global shipping industry "even worse". In particular, the shortage of containers is likely to further intensify. With the price of the Asia-Europe route skyrocketing, it will have a negative impact on the international shipping industry. Trade and global supply chains are even more traumatizing.

Some people also say that this accident has also made all aspects of global trade and global supply chains more vigilant. In contrast, the importance of the "China-Europe Railway Express" has been highlighted. "Eggs cannot be put in one basket."

On March 25, the Japanese ship owner of the "Ever Given", the Japanese ship owner Shoei Kisen, issued an apology statement on its official website. On the same day, Evergreen Shipping Chairman Zhang Yanyi stated that the Ever Given is a long-term chartered vessel of the company, and any damage on board The shipowner is responsible for damage to the ship due to operational errors or force majeure.

The question is, who will pay for the accident of the "Changci" stuck in the Suez Canal in the future?

Zhang Yanyi, the 65-year-old chairman of Evergreen Shipping, joined Evergreen in 1987 and worked his way up to captain and other positions from the grassroots maritime service, seafaring, transportation and other units. In 2013, he was promoted to the chairman of Panama Xuelang Container Terminal Company. In January 2020, he was appointed by Evergreen as the chairman of Taipei Port Container Terminal Company. On October 7, 2020, he was appointed Chairman of Evergreen Marine Corporation. Former Chairman Zhang Zhengyong was transferred to the position of Chairman of Taipei Port Container Terminal Company and United Terminal Loading and Unloading Contracting Co., Ltd.

Looking back at the 53-year history of Evergreen Shipping's founding as "Son of the Ocean"

Evergreen Shipping Chairman Zhang Yanyi

Evergreen Marine, together with Yang Ming and Wan Hai, is known as the three giants in the shipping industry in Taiwan, China. Among them, Yang Ming is a "official stock" (the major shareholder, the Taiwan Port Authority, holds nearly 12% of the shares), and Wan Hai, one of the "three heroes" of shipping containers, mainly focuses on near-ocean routes.

Since last year, the shipping market, which has been hit by the epidemic, seems to be "not weak in the off-season." In addition to good revenue reports, the stock prices of Evergreen and Yang Ming have hit record highs.From this point of view, the prosperity of the "Age of Discovery" is still there and is far from over.

In the past, Zhang Rongfa, founder of Evergreen Group and Evergreen Marine, his family relied on the sea for a living when he was a child, and the "sea" also ran through the life of this famous shipping figure. He is determined to build a shipping kingdom where the sun never sets.

If Zhang Rongfa had a spirit in heaven, he might not have thought that the "blockage" of his Evergreen "Evergreen" in the Suez Canal would block the nerves of the global shipping channel, and its influence would be so great!

In 1968, Zhang Rongfa started from a second-hand cargo ship "Changxin Ship" and founded Evergreen Shipping, which has a history of 53 years. Since the age of 18, Zhang Rongfa has experienced wars and battles with the sea. From a small sailor, he has single-handedly built the legendary Evergreen Group in the sea, land and air. He is as famous as Pao Yugang, Dong Haoyun and other shipping giants, and is also known as As the "World Shipping King".

Evergreen Marine founder Zhang Rongfa

On the morning of January 20, 2016, Zhang Rongfa, the founder and former president of Evergreen Group and Evergreen Marine, passed away at the age of 90. Zhang Rongfa was born on October 6, 1927, and his ancestral home is Penghu. He said during his lifetime that he was born in Suao, Yilan, and his family moved to Keelung when he was 7 years old.

Shipping is the career that Zhang Rongfa is most proud of in his life. Evergreen Group started out as a shipping company. Zhang Rongfa, who had a background in shipping, founded "Evergreen Shipping" on September 1, 1968. In 1985, it became the world's largest container shipping company and created many pioneering achievements in world shipping history.

After laying a good foundation in shipping, at the 20th anniversary reception of Evergreen Shipping on September 1, 1988, Chang announced the investment and establishment of Taiwan's first private international airline - EVA Air , which officially set sail in 1991. Since then, in addition to shipping and aviation-related industries, the business of Evergreen Group under Zhang Rongfa has also been involved in aerospace technology, hotels, steel manufacturing, logistics and other diverse fields, realizing a comprehensive diversified enterprise group covering sea, land and air.

Zhang Rongfa

Zhang Rongfa, known as the "Son of the Ocean", is a legend in Taiwan's corporate world. He was born in a port and made a living in shipping. The ocean eventually became the most glorious career in Zhang Rongfa's life. He calls himself "the son of the ocean." Some people also call it the "King of Shipping". At its peak, Evergreen owned a world-leading shipping fleet and controlled nearly 1/10 of the world's shipping container business. It was also the first person to rewrite China's shipping history.

Before Zhang Rong's death, he was extremely filial to his mother. He had 7 brothers and sisters, ranking third in the family. When he was 18 years old, his father passed away on duty, and his mother took care of the family alone. Zhang Rongfa's highest academic degree is from the night department of the Business Practice Institute attached to the Taipei Higher Business School. His business performance and ability are based on his self-study and practice. His mother was a vegetarian during his lifetime, and Zhang Rongfa, who was influenced by his mother's Buddhist and Taoist beliefs since childhood, decided to become a vegetarian after he turned 60 years old.

Also based on inheriting the spirit of his mother, charity has become Zhang Rongfa’s other half besides his career, and he has been enthusiastic about various charities and public welfare activities throughout his life. Today's Evergreen Group, as well as Evergreen's Evergreen Shipping, EVA Air, etc., are actually controlled by the Zhang Rongfa Charitable Foundation.

"If you owe someone a point, you will get ten points in return." As the founder of Evergreen Group, Zhang Rongfa has very high requirements for corporate governance. He even has to use a ruler to measure the distance between desks in the company. Three of his four sons left the group after he scolded them. But he is a very soft person at heart, and he is grateful to those who have helped him. When he started his business from scratch, he received loans from three people including Kiyoshi Hosaka, the director of Marubeni Corporation of Japan. Later, when they retired, Zhang Rongfa was honored to work for Evergreen Japan Corporation.

Evergreen founder Zhang Rongfa

Evergreen founder Zhang Rongfa was born in Suao, Yilan during the Japanese occupation. He did not have a prominent family background, nor did he have any academic qualifications worth showing off. When he was 7 years old, his family moved to Keelung. When he was 14 years old, Zhang Rongfa started working part-time at a Japanese shipping company, starting from the lowest level as a clerk.

Later, Zhang Rongfa successfully became a navigation technician by studying hard, and successively passed the exams of purser, tallyman, third mate, second mate, first mate, and finally passed the captain's license. After 15 years of sailing career, Zhang Rongfa decided to start his own business. In the early days, his father and eldest brother were both in the shipping company, and his second brother was also in the shipping company. When Zhang Rongfa started sailing, the family made a living on the ocean.

Later, Zhang Rongfa founded "New Taiwan Shipping" and "Central Shipping" with his friends. In 1968, Zhang Rongfa founded Evergreen Shipping with a second-hand ship. It only took him 17 years to make Evergreen the world's largest container shipping company. .

Zhang Rongfa started his own business three times in his life. The first time he started his own business was when he was 36 years old and established "New Taiwan Shipping" in partnership with Liao Wenliang, the then vice president of Taiwan Shipping. The second time he started his own business was with the Xiao Rushui brothers, whom he met in Hangzhou, and they jointly established "Central Shipping". His third venture was "Evergreen Marine" founded by him in 1968.

Even at the age of 80, this "son of the ocean" still sticks to his post and goes to work every day. He and his entourage must carry a measuring stick. No matter he takes a plane, stays in a hotel, or goes to the office, he will take out the measuring stick. Measure it yourself and pursue refinement in this way, which is also one of the secrets of his success.

When he founded Evergreen Line, there was a shortage of funds. Zhang Rongfa once said, "For a period of time, I had to kowtow to the bank every day." When Evergreen's European routes were launched in 1979, he faced the toughest challenge since starting his business. At that time, the powerful Far East European Freight Alliance put pressure on cargo owners in an attempt to block Evergreen's supply of goods. In 1982, Zhang Rongfa broke out of the siege and spent a lot of money to order 24 new container ships. At that time, Western media reported that "that Asian Zhang Rongfa went crazy "!

actually proves Zhang Rongfa’s foresight and accuracy, and Evergreen laid the foundation of the world’s first shipping company in one fell swoop. Zhang Rongfa said: " 'Boldness, carefulness and the courage to take risks' are the most important keys to the success of a business. If you turn around when you encounter difficulties, you may achieve nothing in the end. You must not give up halfway in your career. You must think about it after deciding on the direction. The method is completed.

Zhang Rongfa’s handwritten will

As the saying goes, only when the family is harmonious can everything prosper.

After Zhang Rongfa passed away, due to the controversy over his will, a dispute over the inheritance of the first and second brothers directly started. A group veteran said that there was only one word of "hate" between the first and second brothers of Evergreen.

Zhang Rongfa had two wives. He was already old and had always been in good health. He died of heart and lung failure. Before his death, his second wife Li Yumei, the eldest son Zhang Guohua, the second son Zhang Guoming, the third son Zhang Guozheng, and the fourth son Zhang Guowei, the only son of the second wife, were all at his side. Since Zhang Rongfa has retired and no longer holds an actual position in the group, he will not have much impact on the company's operations.

Because Zhang Rongfa favored his second wife and "loved his wife as much as his wife," he also handed over sea and air transportation to his younger son Zhang Guowei in his later years, while he turned to education and charity. Compared with the business founded by Zhang Rongfa, the infighting within the Evergreen family has also become a classic case in textbooks.

Home is a harbor of family affection, but also a place of unreason. Judging from the content of Zhang Rongfa's handwritten will, it is not just a matter of who inherits the inheritance.

A media person named Cai Yuzhen lamented: These Taiwanese entrepreneurs really don’t understand how many disputes arise over inheritance, but they like to have groups of wives and concubines, which causes the entire family to denounce each other angrily and trigger various disputes.

The content of this article is the original content of Yibo Shuo

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