Houthi pirate attacks in the Red Sea are disrupting maritime trade and having direct consequences on prices in Europe. In Belgium, even the funfair is feeling the effects, with an unexpected price increase on traditional duck fishing
Attacks by Houthi pirates, who have been targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea for several months, are starting to weigh heavily on the Belgian budget.
These actions are disrupting the supply chain, significantly increasing transportation costs for many products imported from Asia.
While going to the Liège fair, our team noticed it. The price of an essential game of this place has increased: duck fishing.
An increase due to diverted routes
Anthony Mastrovalerio, Walloon president of the Union of Belgian fairground industrialists, confirms this unexpected consequence: “The problem is the Houthi pirates who attack the boats carrying our goods in the Red Sea“.
In fact, these attacks force carriers to lengthen their routes. “These attacks have led many large maritime operators to divert their usual routes.“, explains Didier Van Caillie, professor of business strategy at the University of Liège.
Thousands of cargo ships and tankers that once passed through the Suez Canal must now bypass all of Africa. A three-week detour which involves an increase in prices, in one month the cost of the container has doubled.
Bulky products impacted as a priority
This lengthening of the road has repercussions on bulky goods, which are particularly expensive to transport. Thierry Pauwels, toy wholesaler, notes that certain items are no longer profitable: “For example, for large stuffed animals, we put less in a container and then the price goes up. So we will be, in my opinion, on an increase of 25 to 30% for next year“.
Toys aren’t the only ones affected. Clothing, household appliances, furniture and automobile parts are also expected to increase by 10 to 35% in 2025, according to professional estimates.
For fairground operators, these successive increases complicate the management of their prices. Serge Wynands, showman, deplores the impact of this situation: “I can’t increase it too much now“.
After the Covid crisis and global supply problems, the consequences of the Houthi attacks are added to the economic challenges.
Belgium company Houthis economy
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