The British Chamber of Commerce says 55 per cent of exporters report higher shipping costs and delays.
More than half of UK exporters have been affected by attacks carried out by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea, according to a survey by an influential business group.
According to the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) survey, 55 per cent of exporters reported higher shipping costs and delays, as did 53 per cent of manufacturers and business-to-consumer services companies.
Among all types of businesses, 37 percent of companies were affected by the attacks, according to a survey of 1,000 companies conducted between January 15 and February 9.
Some companies surveyed said container rental costs had increased four-fold, while delivery times had increased by up to four weeks.
“There has been excess capacity in the shipping and freight industry to respond to the difficulties, which has bought us some time,” William Bain, BCC's head of trade policy, said on Sunday.
“But our research suggests that the longer the current situation persists, the more likely it will be that cost pressures will begin to increase.”
The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out dozens of missile and drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping routes, since the start of the war in Gaza.
The rebel group claims to be attacking ships with ties to Israel in an effort to show solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
Houthi attacks have caused major disruptions to global trade, with trade volume passing through the Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, falling by about 42 percent, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade. and development.
Earlier this month, Tetley Tea, the UK's second most popular tea brand, said it was facing “much more limited” supply due to disruptions in the Red Sea.
The United States and the United Kingdom have launched dozens of strikes against Houthi-linked targets in response to the attacks.
On Saturday, the US and UK militaries said they had bombed 18 Houthi sites in Yemen, including underground weapons and missile storage facilities, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.
