Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk have announced major new emergency surcharges on Gulf-bound cargo, with fees reaching more than ten times the levels seen during the 2023 Red Sea crisis, as the Strait of Hormuz closure enters its fourth month.
\nSurcharges vary by routing and cargo type, with Maersk suspending new bookings to most Upper Gulf destinations entirely.
\nThe cumulative impact on shippers has been severe, with Shanghai-to-Jebel Ali spot rates quadrupling to over $8,000 per container since March.<\/p>\n
Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk published new emergency surcharge notices today, Friday 26 June, at levels which dwarf previous uses of the mechanism. This adds fresh costs to cargo bound for the Gulf as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> drags into its fourth month.<\/p>\n Hapag-Lloyd said its Middle East Emergency Surcharge applies to existing bookings already in transit, cargo discharged at transhipment hubs such as India, Pakistan, Salalah<\/a> in Oman, or Khor Al Fakkan in the UAE, and shipments already within the affected region requiring alternative delivery arrangements.<\/p>\n Affected destinations include the UAE, Saudi Arabia (excluding Jeddah), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, and Oman. Fees vary by routing: customers routed via Jeddah with onward trucking into the UAE face charges of $5,600 per 20-foot container, while those using Fujairah or Khor Fakkan as a discharge point pay $2,200 per box, with higher rates for refrigerated and dangerous goods.\u00a0<\/p>\n For its part, Maersk has suspended all new bookings to most Upper Gulf destinations and is charging an Emergency Freight rate of $1,800 per 20-foot dry container, $3,000 per 40-foot box and $3,800 for refrigerated or dangerous goods, covering alternative routing costs including potential storage, additional charters, and final-mile delivery once conditions allow.<\/p>\n These price increases have been a consistent feature in the Middle East. When Iran\u2019s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz first took hold in early March, Hapag-Lloyd introduced a war risk surcharge of $1,500 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) for standard containers, while CMA CGM announced an emergency conflict surcharge of $2,000 to $4,000 per TEU.\u00a0<\/p>\n Still further back, when Houthi attacks disrupted<\/a> Red Sea shipping in late 2023, Maersk\u2019s Transit Disruption Surcharge was initially set at just $400 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU). Friday\u2019s charges are more than ten times that level.<\/p>\n Carriers argue the escalation reflects genuine cost pressures. Rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope adds 10 to 14 days and significant fuel expense per voyage; port congestion at alternative hubs has added further delays and handling costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n