The escalation in Iran is having far-reaching consequences, including in container shipping. CMA CGM announced that it will temporarily suspend calls at ports in the Persian Gulf.
The decision was taken “in view of the current developments in the region”, the company announced. All bookings for loading and unloading ports in several countries will be stopped with immediate effect.
The following countries are affected by the measures:
- Bahrain (all ports)
- Kuwait (all ports)
- Qatar (all ports)
- United Arab Emirates (all ports except Fujairah and Khor Fakkan)
- Saudi Arabia (all ports except Jeddah, King Abdullah Port, Yanbu and Neom)
- Iraq (Port of Umm Qasr)
“This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our crews, vessels and customer cargoes in the current circumstances,” reads a statement from CMA CGM. For containers already on board or waiting to be loaded at the port of origin, shippers will receive individual information at the company’s local offices. “We are doing everything we can to maintain the continuity of our services and transparency even in these challenging times.”
No voyages through the Suez Canal
Voyages through the Suez Canal are also to be suspended for the time being. It was only at the turn of the year that container shipping companies began to resume sailing through the passage, which had been unusable for months due to Houthi attacks, in order to shorten transit times between European and Asian ports.
In addition to CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd also announced that it would avoid the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. The Danish shipping company Maersk warned in a statement of delivery delays that could result from detour.
The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, is one of the most important trade routes in the world. Around a fifth of the world’s entire oil demand passes through the strait, which is only 55 km wide. Since the weekend, the strait has once again become the focus of attention: in response to the attack by the USA and Israel, Iran has announced a complete closure of the strait. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced that it would open fire on “any ship” approaching the Strait of Hormuz. (JW)
