The Impact Of The Latest US-Iran Situation On Maritime And Air Transportation, As Well As Corresponding Measures

 

The situation between the U.S. and Iran has escalated sharply. Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and several Middle Eastern countries have successively closed their airspace, causing severe disruption to global logistics networks. In the maritime sector, shipping lines have collectively suspended bookings to the Middle East and imposed high surcharges. In the air freight sector, widespread flight cancellations and airport closures have brought the entire Middle East logistics corridor to a standstill. Effective immediately, all bookings, container releases, empty container pickups, and gate-in operations for the Middle East region are suspended. Do not pick up empty containers if you haven't already. Containers already picked up but not yet gated-in must be returned immediately. Resumption time is to be determined.

 

 

1. Maritime Transport: Major shipping lines have implemented measures for Middle East-bound (Gulf region) cargo, including suspending bookings and imposing surcharges:

ZIM: Has stopped accepting all new bookings to other Middle Eastern regions (excluding Israel). Cargo with confirmed bookings is temporarily halted from loading.

MSC: Suspended global bookings to the Middle East region. Suspended transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

PIL: Suspended global bookings to the Middle East region. Suspended transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

MSK: Reverting to sailing via the Cape of Good Hope. Suspended all vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz.

CMA: Effective for loading dates starting March 2, imposing an emergency surcharge of USD 2000/3000 for the Middle East and Red Sea. Bookings to the Middle East/Red Sea are still possible. (For all Red Sea bookings, regardless of whether containers have been picked up or not, as long as they haven't been loaded on the vessel, a uniform emergency war surcharge of USD 2000/3000 will be applied.)

HPL: Will impose a War Risk Surcharge (WRS). Suspended transits via the Strait of Hormuz.

ONE: Suspended global bookings to the Middle East region. Suspended transits via the Strait of Hormuz. (All released bookings where containers have not been back-picked [i.e., picked up from the depot] are being withdrawn.)

YML: As of today, for customers who have not picked up containers, any container pickups are entirely at their own risk.

HMM: Suspended booking releases, awaiting further notice.

Zhonggu Shipping: Starting March 8, imposing an emergency war surcharge of USD 1500/3000 on Red Sea routes. Further notices will be provided as updates occur.

SKR / Heung-A Line: Middle East: awaiting further notice.

KMTC: Middle East/Red Sea: awaiting further notice.

ESL: Middle East/Red Sea: awaiting further notice.

CULINE: Middle East/Red Sea: Effective March 2, a War Risk Surcharge (WRS) of USD 2100/3200 will be applied to the following containers: those on vessels in transit, and those at the port of origin not yet loaded onto the vessel. (As long as cargo is in transit and hasn't reached the port, the WRS USD 2100/3200 will be added.)

WHL: Suspended acceptance of bookings for the Middle East/Red Sea. Subsequent recovery plans will be notified based on the situation.

OOCL: Suspended cargo bookings to the Middle East, pending further notice.

COSCO: Suspended sailings through high-risk areas in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea. Vessels currently en route are seeking safe harbor nearby. Middle East routes are being diverted via the Cape of Good Hope. New bookings are suspended.

EMC: Following head office notification, stopped accepting cargo transiting via Dubai to the Red Sea. Shipping Orders (SOs) for containers not yet picked up will be cancelled. For containers already picked up but not yet returned loaded, please return them empty. For containers already returned loaded, await further instructions. Vessels en route but not yet arrived in the Gulf region will proceed slowly, with adjustments based on situational developments. Vessels already within the Gulf region will continue operations under safe conditions.

Emergency War Risk Surcharge Notice:

The surcharge details are as follows (applicable immediately, excluding cargo subject to FMC or SSE regulated scopes):

USD 2,000.- per 20' Standard/HC Container

USD 3,000.- per 40' Standard/HC Container

USD 4,000.- per unit (For all Special Equipment including reefers)

The surcharge is payable by the booking party. It applies to all bookings that have not yet been shipped on or after March 3, 2026, as well as to cargo already in transit that has not yet been discharged or loaded to/from the above-mentioned regions.

 

2. Air Freight: Airspace over several Middle Eastern countries has been closed, leading to major flight suspensions by key airlines. Details are as follows:

Iraq: National airspace closed. Baghdad (BGW) and Erbil (EBL) airports are non-operational. Iraqi Airways (IA) has suspended all flights. No clear timeline for resumption.

Neighboring Countries & GCC States:

UAE: Temporary closure of all national airspace. Key airports affected: Dubai (DXB) and Abu Dhabi (AUH). Emirates (EK) and Etihad Airways (EY) have suspended all flights. Assessment scheduled for 15:00 on March 2, potential for extension.

Qatar: National airspace closed. Doha Airport (DOH) is non-operational. Qatar Airways (QR) has suspended all flights. Resumption date TBD.

Kuwait: National airspace closed. Kuwait International Airport (KWI) is non-operational. Kuwait Airways (KU) has suspended all flights. Resumption date TBD.

Bahrain: National airspace closed. Bahrain International Airport (BAH) is non-operational. Gulf Air (GF) has suspended all flights. Resumption date TBD.

Saudi Arabia: Airspace remains open, with precautionary checks being implemented. Key airports: Riyadh (RUH), Jeddah (JED), Dammam (DMM). Saudia has cancelled flights to Amman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Bahrain until 23:59 local time on March 2. Domestic flights are operating normally. An assessment will be made at that time regarding potential extensions.

 

 

Maritime: Vessel diversions and surging surcharges are driving up global shipping costs. The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes, being blocked has already triggered a significant rise in international oil prices. NYMEX light crude futures prices rose by as much as 12.4%. Rising oil prices will further impact all segments of the logistics chain.

Air Freight: As the Middle East serves as a core transit hub connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa, the closure of its airspace has directly severed numerous international air freight routes. Cargo transport transiting via the Middle East to Europe, the Americas, and Asia is comprehensively disrupted. Some flights are forced to divert or make unscheduled landings, causing significant delays in transit times.

 

 

According to shipping route experts, Middle Eastern countries are currently in the Ramadan period. A concentrated replenishment peak is expected after the Eid al-Fitr holiday in the latter half of the month. This market demand may drive a gradual recovery of the Middle East shipping market. It is anticipated that this shutdown may not last very long. However, the current US-Iran situation remains highly volatile. There is significant uncertainty regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the airspace of multiple countries. We will continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East in real-time, promptly sharing the latest policy announcements from shipping lines and airlines, as well as information on logistics corridor reopenings, to assist shippers and logistics partners in adjusting their decisions promptly and minimizing losses.

Warm Reminder: Companies planning to export to, import from, or transit cargo through the Middle East in the near future must prepare contingency logistics plans in advance, closely monitor the evolving situation, and carefully plan their shipment schedules