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The conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt trade flows in and out of the region. What began as a local conflict has now evolved and is disrupting major land, sea and air corridors — with effects that are starting to reach far beyond the region.
As conditions shift quickly, Maersk is focused on two things: keeping our people safe and helping customers manage the disruptions to their supply chains.
Safety first in an unpredictable environment
The human side of this crisis extends far beyond logistics. For people living through the conflict, daily life has been replaced by uncertainty and concern about where the situation will lead. In circumstances like these, safety comes before anything else — for the communities affected, and for our own colleagues working in and around the region.
Our key focus is of course the safety of our colleagues, people that work directly and indirectly for us, and everybody in the area who is impacted by this. So far, all our staff, whether in terminals, in ports, on vessels, or in offices around the area, are safe and sound. This is our primary concern.
Supporting flows in and out of the Gulf region
On behalf of customers, Maersk moves around 20,000 TEU per week into the Gulf region, with a similar outbound volume.
Our customers with cargo to and from the Gulf are in a very difficult situation. Together, we are trying to find the best possible solution under these circumstances. This may involve having containers temporarily stored, having them returned, or identifying a new port to which they can be shipped. From there, we are working, where possible, to find alternative transport, so that customers can get their cargo to where they need it. Our focus is on stability and delivering workable solutions in an unpredictable environment.
Due to the risks and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, we had to pause acceptance of nonessential cargo to and from the region temporarily.
To ensure fundamental societal needs are met, essential goods, such as food and medicine, have been prioritised.
We are prioritising cargo bound for the region – with food and medicine as the highest priority – and are securing trucking capacity to take cargo into the Gulf from ports outside the area. For cargo from Europe, for instance, we are mainly focusing on Jeddah and deploying trucks to move the cargo across the desert to its destination.
We assess cargo acceptance on an on-going basis with the aim to resume acceptance when possible. For the latest details, please visit our information page on Maersk.com.
Hear Chief Commercial Officer Karsten Kildahl on how we keep essential flows running and what options Maersk has provided for non-essential flows:
A growing challenge: fuel supply
A serious challenge is starting to emerge: the global distribution of fuel. This is impacting both Ocean and Air transportation. With more than 20% of the world’s oil — and a significant share of the marine fuel— coming from the Gulf, this poses a real risk to operational consistency in the wider, global shipping network. To ensure continuity and avoid a supply shortage in key locations, Maersk is taking proactive steps:
There is currently sufficient fuel globally, but it is unevenly distributed. As a result, we are making changes to our fuel supply chain and begin moving fuel to ensure our vessels can continue to bunker where needed – and protect the flow of trade. Through the redistribution of fuel and additional initiatives to optimise our fuel supply chain, we are securing the longer-term stability of our global ocean network operations.
For the latest update on the introduction of a temporary Emergency Bunker Surcharge (EBS), please visit our information page on Maersk.com.
