Suez Canal Rescuers Want Larger Payout for Freeing Ever Given

The Dutch salvage firm that helped prevent a global freight bottleneck when it dislodged a massive container ship stuck in the Suez Canal is fighting the vessel’s owners in a London court, claiming they were denied a proper payout.

Teams from SMIT Salvage BV were rushed to the Suez Canal to help refloat the Ever Given and free the critical waterway in the spring of 2021. The firm, known for flying employees from one shipping crisis to the next, argued this week that the ship’s Japanese owners are preventing them for claiming a higher salvage award.

SMIT, a unit of ...