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Maersk has announced a new emergency surcharge on cargo affected by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. The surcharge applies to shipments to and from Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, as well as Dammam and Jubail in Saudi Arabia, and Oman except for Salalah.
The surcharge is set at USD 1,800 per 20ft dry container, USD 3,000 per 40ft dry container, and USD 3,800 for reefer containers and some special and dangerous cargo. An additional USD 1,000 per container applies to vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which could raise the total charge on some shipments to USD 4,800 per container.
At the same time, Maersk has started moving some Gulf cargo through alternative routes via Salalah and Khor Fakkan, using inland transport and feeder networks, while Saudi cargo continues to move through Jeddah.
The carrier has kept booking restrictions in place for some destinations and cargo types, while still accepting dry cargo bookings to several ports, including Jeddah, King Abdullah Port, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Salalah, and Sohar.
The surcharge affects Egyptian exporters and importers trading with Arabian Gulf ports, while Saudi ports on the Red Sea are not included. Maersk noted that these measures may change depending on the security situation in the region.