A solution to the Ever Given dispute seemed further away than ever over the weekend as the Suez Canal Authority and the ship’s insurer traded public accusations over who was responsible for the six-day blockage of the canal.

We seemed to be getting somewhere last month when the SCA agreed to slash its compensation demand to USD 550 mn.

But the two sides are evidently no closer to agreeing on how to apportion responsibility after the Ever Given’s insurer UK Club on Thursday argued that the SCA should have prevented the ship from travelling at such high speeds, only for Rabie to yesterday accuse the ship’s captain for being solely responsible for the incident.

UK Club and the ship’s owner, Shoei Kisen, have said nothing to suggest that they will meet the SCA’s revised claim. Shoei Kisen reportedly offered to pay the authority USD 150 mn, less than a third of what the SCA is asking for.

There will either be a solution or more can-kicking later this month: The Ismailia Economic Court will hold a hearing on the case on 20 June.