Maersk extends booking suspensions across Gulf as Hormuz crisis deepens

A.P. Moller-Maersk A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S ↘ 1.26% continues to levy emergency freight charges on Middle East-bound cargo as the Strait of Hormuz crisis enters its seventh month, with the shipping giant's latest operational update confirming surcharges of $1,800 per 20-foot dry container and $3,000 per 40-foot dry container for bookings to and from the Gulf region.maersk+1

The charges, first introduced in March when the U.S.-Iran conflict effectively closed the strait to routine commercial traffic, remain in force under Maersk's Middle East Operational Update 45, issued September 9. Reefer, special, and dangerous goods containers carry a higher surcharge of $3,800, while any vessel that does transit the Strait of Hormuz faces an additional $1,000 per container fee to cover war-risk insurance premiums and crew risk compensation.maersk+4

Dual Chokepoint Pressure

The surcharges reflect the compounding effects of disruption at both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, where Houthi forces have maintained pressure on commercial shipping since late 2023. The simultaneous closure of the two waterways has put an estimated $10 billion per day in global trade at risk, blocking roughly 30 percent of global container shipping from normal routing, according to an analysis by the Observer Research Foundation.orfme

Crude oil and condensate traffic through Bab al-Mandeb rose from 3.7 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2025 to 5.4 million in the first quarter of 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, as shippers rerouted away from the Persian Gulf. The longer Cape of Good Hope routing adds roughly 20 days to Asia-Europe voyages, tying up vessel capacity and pushing rates higher across multiple trade lanes.time+1

Escalation at Sea

Conditions in the Hormuz region deteriorated further in recent days. Reuters reported that an average of just 10 commodity ships transited the strait per day in the 10 days ending September 6, the lowest level since May. On September 8, Al Jazeera reported that the United States struck five Iranian oil tankers, provoking a counterattack on Jordan's al-Azraq airbase — the latest in a cycle of maritime escalation that has kept insurers and carriers on edge.reuters+1

Maersk has suspended most bookings to and from Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia's eastern ports, Jordan, and most UAE destinations, accepting cargo only for limited gateways including Jeddah and Khor Fakkan. The company has also rolled out emergency inland fuel surcharges across the Nordic region, with rates reaching 20 percent in Estonia, as the conflict's effects ripple from sea lanes into overland logistics.maersk+1

Outlook

With vessel utilization kept high by the detour around Africa and container equipment stranded across the Gulf, the freight market shows few signs of easing. The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index stood at 3,410 as of early September, and Maersk has warned that its surcharges "may be adjusted" as the situation remains "highly volatile". For shippers, the dual chokepoint crisis has become a structural cost that is unlikely to recede before conditions in the strait change.naviafreight+1