There may be a small upside, to the closure of the Suez Canal

It may takes weeks to remove a container ship, which is currently blocking the crucial trading route between Asia and Europe like a "beached whale".

The blockage is likely to hold up freight and push up global prices, with ships forced to detour around the African continent.

But New Zealand Shippers Council chairman Simon Beale says it will also give ports some time to clear their existing backlogs.