The Middle East conflict has escalated into a global supply chain disruption, prompting Maersk to pause nonessential cargo to and from the Gulf region. With 20,000 TEU per week flowing into the Gulf — now constrained by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz — shippers face port diversions, overland trucking adaptations, and cargo prioritization. Fuel redistribution is underway amid uneven global bunker availability, given the Gulf's contribution of >20% of the world's oil. Essential goods like food and medicine remain top priorities, while Maersk maintains all regional staff are safe. Real-time updates are available on Maersk.com.
According to www.maersk.com, the escalating conflict in the Middle East is disrupting major land, sea, and air corridors — with cascading effects now reaching far beyond the region. What began as a local crisis has evolved into a systemic supply chain challenge affecting global trade flows.
Safety first in an unpredictable environment
The human dimension remains central: for communities living through the conflict, daily life has been replaced by uncertainty and concern about the trajectory of events. Maersk emphasizes that safety precedes all operational considerations — for affected populations and for its own workforce. All Maersk staff — whether in terminals, ports, on vessels, or in offices across the region — are confirmed safe and sound. This includes employees working directly for Maersk and those employed indirectly through partners and contractors.
Supporting flows in and out of the Gulf region
Maersk moves approximately 20,000 TEU per week into the Gulf region, with a comparable volume moving outbound. Customers shipping to and from the Gulf face acute logistical constraints. In response, Maersk is implementing flexible, case-by-case solutions: temporarily storing containers, arranging returns, or rerouting cargo to alternative ports such as Jeddah. From there, overland trucking is deployed — particularly for cargo originating in Europe — to move goods across the desert to final destinations.
Due to heightened risks and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Maersk has temporarily paused acceptance of nonessential cargo to and from the region. Only essential goods — with food and medicine prioritized — continue to be accepted and moved. Cargo acceptance is assessed continuously, with resumption plans contingent on evolving conditions. Up-to-date guidance is available via Maersk’s dedicated information page.
“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.” — Maersk spokesperson
A growing challenge: fuel supply
A critical secondary impact is emerging in global fuel distribution. The Gulf supplies more than 20% of the world’s oil and a significant share of marine fuel. While global fuel inventories remain sufficient overall, distribution is now highly uneven — threatening operational consistency across ocean and air networks. To mitigate risk, Maersk is actively redistributing fuel reserves and optimizing its bunker supply chain to ensure vessels can bunker where needed. These actions aim to protect trade continuity and safeguard long-term stability of the global ocean network.
As part of this effort, Maersk introduced a temporary Emergency Bunker Surcharge (EBS) — details of which are published on its official website.
- Weekly Gulf-bound container volume: 20,000 TEU
- Strait of Hormuz status: de facto closure
- Fuel origin dependency: >20% of global oil from Gulf
- Cargo priority hierarchy: medicine > food > other essentials > nonessential
Source: www.maersk.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
