Egypt to Release Evergreen Ship Which Blocked Suez Canal 7 Jul 2021 Egypt is set to release the MV Ever Given on Wednesday, over 100 days since the megaship was refloated after blocking the Suez Canal for six days, crippling global supply lines and costing billions. The nearly 200,000-tonne container vessel became wedged across the canal during a sandstorm on March 23, blocking a vital artery from Asia to Europe that carries 10 percent of global maritime trade and pumps vital revenues into Egyptian state coffers. After a round-the-clock salvage operation to dislodge it, Egypt seized the ship and demanded compensation from Japanese owners Shoei Kisen Kaisha for lost canal revenues, salvage costs and damage to the canal.