FILE PHOTO: Container vessel Maersk Hangzhou sails in the Wielingen channel, Westerschelde, Netherlands, July 15, 2018. Rene van Quekelberghe\/Handout via REUTERS\/File Photo<\/p>\n
Maersk Keeping Strait of Hormuz Transits Suspended as Ceasefire Confidence Wavers<\/p>\n
A.P. Moller \u2013 Maersk\u00a0said Tuesday it is continuing to avoid transits through the Strait of Hormuz amid uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, underscoring the shipping industry\u2019s ongoing lack of confidence in the security situation across the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
In its latest Middle East operational advisory issued Tuesday,<\/p>\n
said the situation remains, \u201chighly volatile,\u201d \u201cdeeply dynamic,\u201d and warned that \u201cfull maritime certainty\u201d has not yet been restored.<\/p>\n
\u201cVolatility persists in the situation. In coordination with our security partners, we have assessed that as of now, transit through the<\/p>\n
should be avoided,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s second-largest container carrier said any future decision to resume Hormuz transits would depend on continuous risk assessments, security monitoring, and guidance from authorities and industry partners.<\/p>\n
The update comes as the Trump administration continues its strategy of diplomatic negotiations and escalating military and economic pressure, aimed at stabilizing the region and restoring commercial shipping through one of the world\u2019s most strategically important waterways. The Strait of Hormuz normally handles roughly one-fifth of global oil flows and serves as a critical artery for containerized cargo, LNG, and refined products.<\/p>\n
Maersk welcomed U.S.-led efforts to restore freedom of navigation but stopped short of endorsing any immediate return to normal operations. \u201cIt is crucial that freedom of navigation is restored, and we welcome any effort to achieve this,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n
The statement is an apparent reference to the now-suspended<\/p>\n
, the U.S.-led maritime operation launched to help move stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz under naval protection. Among the first ships escorted under the initiative, which was<\/p>\n
paused after only 36 hours<\/p>\n
, was the U.S.-flagged vehicle carrier<\/p>\n
, operated by\u00a0A.P. Moller \u2013 Maersk\u00a0subsidiary Maersk Line, Limited.<\/p>\n
Maersk advisory makes clear that shipping lines remain unconvinced that risks have materially declined despite the latest ceasefire announcements.<\/p>\n
The latest guidance aligns with broader industry caution seen across the maritime sector in recent weeks. Major operators, insurers, and industry organizations including BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping have repeatedly warned that military de-escalation alone is insufficient to restore commercial confidence without credible security guarantees and mine-clearance assurances.<\/p>\n
On the commercial side, Maersk announced a continued suspension of ocean cargo bookings tied to much of the Upper Gulf region, including Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia\u2019s eastern ports of Dammam and Al Jubail, and most UAE ports except Khor Fakkan.<\/p>\n
The suspension applies not only to imports and exports but also to transshipment cargo moving through those countries.<\/p>\n
The company said limited exceptions may be made for critical shipments including food, medicines, and perishable cargo.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Maersk said it is expanding multimodal \u201clandbridge\u201d operations across the Gulf region to maintain cargo flows through alternative corridors. Available solutions include overland connections via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, and the UAE, along with sea-land-sea combinations linking Jeddah, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Qatar.<\/p>\n
Maersk also temporarily paused several inland cargo corridors involving UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia as the company adjusts its regional logistics network to shifting operational realities.<\/p>\n
The advisory highlights the growing divide between political messaging surrounding de-escalation and the commercial shipping industry\u2019s assessment of actual navigational risk in the region.<\/p>\n