The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is disrupting major land, sea and air trade routes, forcing global shipping companies to adapt operations while attempting to maintain the flow of essential goods.
Shipping and logistics company Maersk says the situation is already affecting cargo movements into and out of the Gulf region, with the closure of key shipping routes creating uncertainty for global supply chains.
According to Karsten Kildahl, chief commercial officer at Maersk, the company’s immediate focus is the safety of staff and partners operating in the region.
“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,” says Karsten Kildahl.
“So far, all our staff, whether in terminals, in ports, on vessels, or in offices around the area, are safe and sound. This is our primary concern.”
Alongside safety measures, Maersk is working with customers to manage the operational impact of the disruption. The company normally moves around 20,000 TEU of cargo into the Gulf region each week, with a similar volume exported from the region.
“Our customers with cargo to and from the Gulf are in a very difficult situation,” says Kildahl.
“Together, we are trying to find the best possible solution under these circumstances. This may involve having containers temporarily stored, having them returned, or identifying a new port to which they can be shipped.”
The disruption has intensified following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors for energy and trade.
As a result, Maersk has temporarily paused acceptance of non-essential cargo to and from the region.
“To ensure fundamental societal needs are met, essential goods, such as food and medicine, have been prioritised,” says Kildahl.
The company is redirecting shipments through alternative ports where possible and using land transport to move cargo into the Gulf. For example, freight from Europe is being routed through Saudi Arabia.
“We are prioritising cargo bound for the region, with food and medicine as the highest priority, and are securing trucking capacity to take cargo into the Gulf from ports outside the area,” says Kildahl.
“For cargo from Europe, for instance, we are mainly focusing on Jeddah and deploying trucks to move the cargo across the desert to its destination.”
Beyond immediate shipping disruptions, Maersk says a secondary challenge is emerging around global fuel distribution.
More than 20 per cent of the world’s oil production originates from the Gulf region, including a significant share of marine fuel used by shipping fleets.
“There is currently sufficient fuel globally, but it is unevenly distributed,” says Kildahl.
“As a result, we are making changes to our fuel supply chain and begin moving fuel to ensure our vessels can continue to bunker where needed and protect the flow of trade.”
According to Maersk, the company is redistributing fuel supplies across its global network and implementing additional measures to maintain operational stability.
“Through the redistribution of fuel and additional initiatives to optimise our fuel supply chain, we are securing the longer-term stability of our global ocean network operations,” says Kildahl.
Maersk says it will continue assessing cargo acceptance and operational conditions as the situation develops, with the aim of resuming normal shipping operations when it becomes safe to do so.
