Japanese car franchises Mazda UK and Suzuki GB have said that their car dealers will not feel the impact of the Suez Canal shipping crisis.

Around 49 container ships were set to pass through the Suez Canal in both directions in the seven days after the Ever Given ran aground on the vital shipping route on Tuesday (March 23).

Delays to those ships and concerns that a resulting wave of container ships could overwhelm Europe’s ports have led to supply issues across various sectors.

But in statements issued to AM two of the UK car retail sector’s key vehicle importers claimed that their customers and franchisees would not be unduly affected by the incident.

“Suzuki received sufficient stock to the UK at our Portbury facility prior to this event and is ready for when dealers re-open from April 12,” a Suzuki spokesperson told AM.