Middle East Crisis: Situation Updates

• With the announcement of the ceasefire and the apparent opening of the Strait, the situation on the ground still remains unclear as carriers are yet to announce any update on their plans for either short term or permanent return to routing via the Hormuz Strait
• Situation across the Middle East remains highly dynamic, driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, multiple vessel attacks, and widespread carrier suspensions.
• All major carriers have now halted/alternated bookings to/from or via Arabian Gulf ports, and surcharges continue to escalate.
• Port operations are technically open in most locations but are functionally constrained due to the lack of vessel calls, congestion, and yard‑space limitations, congestions building up.
• DGF Ops, Trade, and Crisis Calls remain activated with full vessel and shipment visibility, exception handling, and daily cross‑functional alignment.

• UAE – All ports operational
  • Operations were suspended at Khor Fakkan port on 6^th April due to an incident on Sunday. However, the port is now partially operational again as of 7^th April morning
  • Khor Fakkan Port not accepting any containers for Exports neither empties nor laden to manage the terminal capacity
  • Reports of congestion building up and waiting times possibly going up to 7-10 days
  • Gulftainer applies an Emergency Operational Recovery Surcharge of $100/Container, effective 15^th March 13
    • This surcharge applies to container handling services performed at Khor Fakkan Commercial Terminal (KCT)
  • For containers arriving via Khor Fakkan POD, the same can be booked until Sajaa or Mileeha ICDs thereby helping to avoid truck congestion at the port
  • Fujairah Port only container Terminal operational
• Kuwait
  • Shuwaikh – Partially Operational
  • Shuaiba - Partially operational
• Saudi Ports – Operational
• Umm Qasr – Operational
• Hamad – Operational
• Bahrain – Operational
• Oman
  • Sohar – Operational
    • Laden containers can only be gated in 5 days prior to vessel ETA
    • IMDG, OOG and BBK cargo is subject to prior approval for both import and export
    • No pre-cooling and container washing services available
    • Max. number of container moves per vessels limited to 3,000 TEUs
  • Salalah – Partially operational
  • Duqm – Operational, but DG shipments not allowed
• Beirut – Operational
• Aqaba – Operational

Across all major liners:

• Full suspension of bookings to/from Arabian Gulf ports; all carriers have now officially stopped accepting any services via Hormuz.
• Service omissions, early voyage terminations, diversions, and Cape of Good Hope rerouting widely in effect.
• Reefer, DG, and Special Cargo restrictions are now industry‑wide.

Examples:

• Maersk accepting only bookings up to Sohar & Khor Fakkan
• Maersk still only accepting Empty Return at Salalah, Jeddah and Sohar
• MSC: EoV declared for all Gulf‑bound shipments (3 March). Diversion & mandatory USD 800/container surcharge applied. Numerous emergency surcharges active.
• Evergreen, YML: Broad suspensions to Upper Gulf.
• CMA CGM: Broad booking halt; Clause 10 activated on multiple vessels; Suez routings suspended.
• Maersk: Wide‑scale suspension of Gulf & ISC lanes; reefer/DG stops; FM1/ME11 suspended; acceptance only for essential cargo.
• Hapag-Lloyd: No Gulf bookings except Jeddah.

• No information or declarations from Carriers

• Surcharges & Cost Implications: As the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, carriers may introduce additional charges to compensate for increased operational and security‑related risks. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
• War Risk Surcharge: Given the heightened regional security environment, carriers and insurers may introduce or adjust war‑risk premiums. These may apply to cargo already in transit as well as to new and future bookings.
• Emergency Surcharge (ES): At least one major carrier has announced an Emergency Conflict Surcharge, and additional carriers may implement similar measures depending on how operational conditions develop.
• Bunker Adjustment Charge (BUC): With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and suspended transits through the Bab Al Mandab Strait, many vessels are now rerouting via significantly longer alternatives, including the Cape of Good Hope. Rising oil prices driven by these disruptions are expected to push global bunker costs upward, and carriers are likely to pass on these additional fuel‑related expenses.

• MSC has temporarily suspended all exports bookings from Sohar and Salalah until further notice
• MSC arranging vessel connections to Gulf for containers discharged in India and Sri Lanka  
• Dwell times increasing across impacted ports (up to 10 days); Ops teams monitoring in real time.
• Carriers issuing early voyage terminations, port omissions, return voyages and forced diversions.
• Extended or special F/T do not apply any longer on any of the diverted shipments, and will be changed to either standard or zero days
• F/T removal though applies to all diverted shipments, but we see that for shipments diverted to Khor Fakkan this needs to be strictly followed as the Terminal is taking these steps to avoid the buildup of any congestion 

• Spot rates increasing sharply, with multiple GRIs in effect.
• Rising oil prices expected to elevate bunker levels.
• Port & transshipment congestion likely in Gulf and Asian hubs as re-routings intensify.
• Equipment imbalance emerging due to suspended flows and empty‑return bottlenecks.
• Freight tariffs (M‑level) centrally expired for MEA & Israel due to market volatility.

• Due to foreseeable impact on jet fuel price, carriers started to introduce FSC increases
• Indirect impact: Routing changes on EU-AP and AP-EU lanes lead to increased operating cost
• Alternative routings of GCC bound shipments will attract additional lead times and rate adjustments 

• Rates adjustments: Airfreight rates to Middle East region have been suspended, rate levels to other regions will be updated on regular basis including temporary adders
• Airfreight rate originating from Europe, Asia and Americas will be subject to temporary adders on lane level
• Fuel surcharges subject to increase

• UAE customs is operational and all is working as of now

• Customs Operational in all ports

• Kuwait customs is operational and all ports are functioning - But airspace is closed

• Hamad International Airport: Customs operational in all ports
• Hamad Port: Customs operational in all ports
• Abu Samra Border: Customs operational in all ports

• Bahrain Airport Services:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• Khalifa Bin Salman Port:  no operation at airport and sea port today 
• King Fahad Causeway:  no operation at airport and sea port today 

• Airport: 
  • customs operational in all ports
• Seaport:
  • Apart from Salalah port, Customs operational 

• BGW, EBL and BSR Airpots / UQ: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended
• IKB border with Turkey: Iraq customs is operational, but all flights still suspended

Is the Strait of Hormuz open for container shipping? 

No. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed for container vessels, forcing ongoing diversions and pressure on alternative ports.

How congested are the main gateway ports? 

Ports such as Jeddah, Khor Fakkan, Sohar, Fujairah and Salalah remain highly congested, with extended waiting times for vessels and inland movement.

Are demurrage and detention charges increasing? 

Yes. Extended dwell times and backlog at ports are driving significant demurrage and detention costs once free time expires.

What is the standard free time at ports? 

Free time is typically five to seven days depending on the port and carrier, after which charges apply in escalating slabs.

Are ocean freight surcharges still increasing? 

Yes. War‑related risk, fuel, and congestion surcharges remain in place and continue to evolve across carriers.

Do we expect slow steaming from shipping lines? 

Slow steaming is being considered by some carriers due to fuel costs and risk exposure, which could prolong transit times.

How long would recovery take after routes reopen? 

Even if maritime routes reopen, full recovery is expected to take several months due to congestion, displaced equipment, and schedule realignment.

Which airspaces are currently open? 

Most regional airspaces have reopened or eased restrictions, except Kuwait, which remains closed.

Is Bahrain airport operational again? 

Bahrain airspace has reopened, but airport operations are ramping up gradually with limited cargo activity.

Are there risks of jet fuel shortages? 

No immediate shortages are confirmed, but global jet fuel supply remains tight and is being closely monitored.

Which airports would be impacted first by fuel shortages? 

Impacts would depend on local supply chains; some airports in Asia, Europe and the Americas are under closer observation.

Have air freight rates increased since the crisis? 

Yes. Global air freight rates have increased significantly due to capacity shortages and fuel price escalation.

Are temperature‑controlled air freight solutions available? 

Yes. Dedicated life sciences and temperature‑controlled air freight capacity continues to operate.

Are bonded road movements still functioning across the GCC? 

Yes. Bond‑to‑bond trucking solutions remain operational for onward distribution across GCC countries.

Is there truck capacity available from congested ports? 

Trucking capacity is under pressure, but DH L has secured dedicated fleets to support inland connections.

Is the Turkey–GCC trucking solution operational? 

Yes. Multimodal trucking routes from Turkey to the GCC via Syria or Iraq are being offered as alternatives.

Is cargo insured when diverted and moved by road? 

Yes. DHL cargo insurance covers combined sea‑road or air‑road movements when booked as part of the shipment.

Are road freight costs expected to increase further? 

Rising fuel prices and demand pressures indicate that road freight rates may continue to increase.

Are LCL services available to the GCC? 

Yes. DHL is operating LCL solutions via Jeddah, Oman and Khorfakkan depending on congestion levels.

Can LCL shipments be delivered to free zones? 

Yes. LCL deliveries to free zones such as Jebel Ali and Sharjah are supported via bonded solutions.