More major box carriers pull Gulf services as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens
KEY container lines are accelerating their withdrawal from Middle East Gulf trades as the security situation around the Strait of Hormuz deteriorates, prompting a wave of booking suspensions, voyage terminations and contingency planning that is rapidly reshaping regional supply chains.
Cosco, Hapag-Lloyd, HMM and Mediterranean Shipping Co have all taken further steps to halt or unwind Middle East Gulf‑bound operations in the past 24 hours, citing escalating conflict, heightened maritime risk and mounting operational constraints.
Shippers operating in and out of the region are faced with widespread disruption, rising costs and growing uncertainty over cargo already in transit.
MSC has taken the most drastic step, declaring an “End of Voyage” for all shipments destined for Middle East Gulf ports, whether already at sea or still ashore. All affected cargo will be discharged at the next safe port, where responsibility immediately reverts to the shipper, who must arrange onward transport and cover all local port charges.
A mandatory $800 per container deviation surcharge applies to every affected unit, including empties already released for export. The move effectively severs MSC’s operational link to the MEG and leaves many shippers facing complicated and costly recovery operations.
Cosco, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd have also moved to suspend all new bookings to and from a wide range of MEG destinations in the past 24 hours, joining MSC, Maersk and others in pulling back from the region. The carriers cited fresh risk assessments driven by escalating conflict and tightening restrictions on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Their suspensions cover most major MEG markets and apply with immediate effect.
HMM has stopped short of a booking freeze but has issued one of its strongest advisories to date, warning that the highly volatile security environment is causing significant disruption across global supply chains. The carrier expects delays, schedule changes and higher costs as it evaluates alternative routings and contingency plans.
The coordinated pullback by major lines signals a market entering a new phase of instability. With carriers prioritising vessel and crew safety and with no clarity on when the security situation might improve, shippers now face severely reduced capacity into and out of the MEG, higher costs, longer and less predictable transit times and complicated recovery operations for cargo discharged at unintended ports.
Vessels already en route are continuing to divert at speed, with a series of abrupt course changes visible across the region.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence has tracked numerous vessels performing impromptu course deviations including the 10,100 teu Seaspan Ganges (IMO: 9630365), chartered to Maersk, which was previously bound for Jebel Ali, but has since been redirected to the Indian port of Pipavav, according to the Danish carrier’s service schedule.
Maersk has also ordered the 15,500 teu Maersk Cincinnati (IMO: 9936410), which is chartered from tonnage provider Seaspan, to abandon its approach to the MEG, with the ship performing a U‑turn at the entrance to the Gulf of Oman and now drifting in the northern Arabian Sea.
Wan Hai Lines 13,100 teu Wan Hai A17 (IMO: 9968528) has likewise been drifting south of Mumbai for two days as it awaits onward instructions, Lloyd’s List Intelligence’s Seasearcher platform shows.
The disruption is unfolding against what carrier executives at TPM in Long Beach described as one of the most severe risk events the industry has faced in years, with the Middle East conflict now being labelled a “black swan” for liner networks and “catastrophic” for ports.
Although the Middle East trade is smaller than the major east–west corridors, its abrupt loss is expected to have outsized global repercussions. Around 10% of the global fleet is now caught up in diversions, insurance cover has spiralled, fuel costs are rising and most major carriers have halted bookings.
Executives warn that Middle East‑bound cargo will begin backing up across hubs in Europe and Asia, with ships forced to discharge at alternative ports such as Colombo or Fujairah, adding further strain to already disrupted networks.
Port operators and logistics providers are bracing for a surge in storage demand in the coming days, increased dwell times and a scramble for inland transport capacity as shippers attempt to recover stranded containers.
Stranded ships
Alphaliner reports that 138 containerships are now confined in the Middle East Gulf representing a combined capacity of some 470,000 teu.
It notes that MSC and CMA CGM are the most affected carriers. The former has 15 ships of a combined 109,000 teu, including the 19,200 teu MSC Clara (IMO: 9708693), while Maersk has 14 vessels aggregating 70,000 teu effectively marooned.
China’s Cosco has a pair of 18,980 teu vessels west of the Strait of Hormuz together with three feeder vessels, which are understood to be chartered.
At the same time, 26 containerships lingering south of the strait were still broadcasting Middle East Gulf destinations, including Abu Dhabi, Dammam and Jebel Ali, even as official carrier notices signalled imminent diversions.
Despite aerial strikes that sparked at least one blaze at Jebel Ali, the port has continued to serve as a haven for operators, with 20 vessels remaining berthed alongside.
Should the Strait of Hormuz remain hazardous for navigation, ports on the Arabian Peninsula around the Gulf of Oman will likely emerge as the primary container hubs for the region.
Alphaliner reports that ad-hoc calls for large containerships to the port of Khor Fakkan have been scheduled for the coming days. They include Cosco’s 14,000 teu CSCL Star (IMO: 9466867) and the 14,000 teu MSC Alexandra (IMO: 9461374) which both normally sail directly into the Middle East Gulf from Asia.
The analyst has recorded 124 container liner services calling to at least one port in the MEG as part of their proforma rotations. This amounts to 3.6m teu of combined deployed capacity across 520 containerships.
But individual carriers face varying degrees of exposure, led by MSC which accounts for one third of the total capacity deployed to the Middle East Gulf.
Asian carriers are also heavily exposed to MEG port calls with some 35% of Yang Ming’s vessel fleet capacity being deployed to the MEG while South Korean carrier HMM normally deploys 30% of its capacity there.
“Black Swan” shocks have a habit of turning into windfalls for containership tonnage providers and this time may be no different. With charter rates and vessel values already riding high in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, the latest disruption could add fresh fuel to an already hot charter and sale and purchase market.
“With nearly 500,000 teu held up in the Middle East Gulf, the disruptions created could be positive for non-operating owners as they have the potential of boosting demand for tonnage.
“Carriers will need stopgap capacities to make up for unavailable ships, service reorganizations, re-routings and transhipments,” noted Alphaliner.
As a result, container lines are likely to have to scramble to plug gaps with more chartered ships, providing a clear upside for boxship tonnage providers.
Meanwhile, any swift return to the Suez Canal looks increasingly unlikely as fears of renewed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea delay a large-scale comeback for months.
That means more ships diverting via the Cape of Good Hope and thus tighter effective slot capacity, which should sustain more support for freight rates and charter rates, and ultimately vessel values.
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