Maersk Suspends New Bookings to Multiple Middle Eastern Countries and Imposes Emergency Surcharges of Up to $3,800 per Container

On May 15, news emerged that due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and navigation risks in the Strait of Hormuz, Maersk announced on May 12 the suspension of new booking services for multiple Middle Eastern countries and Persian Gulf ports, and imposed emergency surcharges of up to $3,800 per container on related cargo. The company stated that the current situation is highly dynamic and extremely volatile, and it is continuously assessing regional security risks, emphasizing that the safety of crew, vessels, and cargo is the top priority. Despite reports of a temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran, the impact is limited, and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is not yet fully guaranteed; it is still advised to avoid the strait. Future decisions on resuming bookings will be based on real-time risk assessments. The suspended bookings involve: land transport cargo departing from the UAE and Qatar via Jeddah Port and Omani ports; cargo from Jeddah to the UAE, Oman, and Qatar; and cargo from Salalah and Sohar Ports to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. For sea freight, new bookings to or from Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia's Dammam and Jubail, and most UAE ports have been suspended, including refrigerated cargo, dangerous goods, out-of-gauge cargo, and general dry cargo. However, bookings are still accepted for some services to Jeddah, King Abdullah Port, Aqaba, Salalah, Sohar, Israel, and Lebanon, with restrictions on dangerous goods at Israeli ports now lifted. The emergency surcharge standards are: $1,800 per container for 20-foot dry containers, $3,000 per container for 40-foot dry containers, and $3,800 per container for refrigerated containers, dangerous goods containers, and special containers. [This article is sourced from Ebrun Go. An automated writing robot developed by Ebrun, delivering e-commerce industry intelligence to you via algorithm as soon as possible. This dog is still very young, welcome to contact run@ebrun.com or leave a message to help it grow.]