The Japanese owner of the giant cargo ship that has been blocking Egypt's Suez Canal since Tuesday has apologised for the disruption to global trade. Shoei Kisen Kaisha said it was trying to resolve the situation as soon as possible, but that dislodging the Ever Given was proving extremely difficult. Marine and salvage engineers failed in their latest attempt on Thursday. The 400m-long (1,300ft), 200,000-tonne vessel became wedged across the canal amid high winds and a dust storm.Evergreen Marine, the Taiwanese firm that operates the ship, has said salvage experts are working with the captain and the Suez Canal Authority to design a more effective plan for refloating it. The blockage is creating long tailbacks in the waterway, with more than 150 vessels currently waiting in the area to pass. About 12% of global trade passes through the canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and provides the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe. An alternative route, around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa, can take two weeks longer.