On March 26th, the massive 220,000 ton Ever Given caused worldwide discourse interrupting over 40% of worldwide trade by getting stuck in the Suez Canal. More than 360 ships were blocked in the canal and billions of dollars went into the delays that it caused. A sandstorm was said to have gotten the boat stuck, with its winds pushing the boat into both banks of the canal. The Chairman of Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority disagrees with this, and says that technical or human error was most likely the cause.

Many ships resorted to the old method, going all the way around Africa in order to make their voyage. This added weeks to their journeys, and worse, increased the likelihood of piracy. Many ships called in help from the US Navy to protect their ships. Not only did this affect the ships in the area, but the entire world. These delays cost between $6 billion and $10 billion per week, and things like coffee or toilet paper may have shortages in the short term.

Dredgers and tugboats managed to get the ship’s stern free on Sunday, and the bow was finally moved yesterday, reopening trade through the Suez Canal. On average, 50 ships pass through the canal daily, and it makes over $5 billion in revenue for Egypt. With the ship now unstuck, trade can resume as normal, but the online memes of the ship are not stopping anytime soon.