Dear Customer

Given the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East region, Shipex wishes to provide a consolidated update based on the latest carrier advisories and operational developments. The situation remains dynamic and decisions by carriers may change with short notice. We therefore summarise below what is currently known and what you can expect operationally, commercially and legally.

1. Operational situation

Security risks around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb continue to disrupt vessel operations. Several carriers have suspended Suez transits and are rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, while vessels already in or bound for the Gulf may be instructed to seek shelter or reroute.

Operations are currently impacted for cargo moving to or via: Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Djibouti, Sudan and Eritrea.

Cargo at Port of Loading: CMA CGM has suspended reefers bookings for all above-mentioned countries until further notice. They continue to accept dry cargo, subject to payment of their Emergency Conflict Surcharge (ECS). Hapag Lloyd and MSC have suspended all bookings for destinations in the Persian Gulf (Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar)

For cargo already in transit, we remain in close contact with all carriers to obtain the latest operational updates. To date, no carrier has issued a definitive statement regarding these shipments; however, discharge at alternative hubs (e.g. Salalah, Sohar, Colombo) with revised ETAs should be anticipated.

2. Commercial impact

CMA CGM and Hapag Lloyd have introduced similar surcharges. CMA CGM applies an Emergency Conflict Surcharge (ECS) of USD 3,000 per 40’ container and USD 4,000 per reefer, while Hapag Lloyd announced a War Risk Surcharge (WRS) of USD 1,500 per TEU and USD 3,500 per reefer container. These surcharges apply to both pending shipments and cargo already on the water.

Other major carriers serving the Middle East, including MSC, Maersk and Cosco, have not yet communicated any surcharges related to the current situation. We expect them to implement similar measures to CMA CGM and Hapag Lloyd.

3. Legal & insurance considerations

Under standard Bill of Lading terms, carriers may change routing, discharge ports, apply emergency surcharges, or invoke force majeure / end-of-voyage clauses where destinations become inaccessible.

At the same time, marine insurers are increasing or withdrawing war-risk coverage for vessels operating in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

Cargo insurers may revise premiums, restrict coverage, or apply temporary exclusions. Customers are therefore advised to review their current insurance terms.

4. Shipex recommendation and actions

As major carriers are currently rejecting cargo for the above-mentioned destinations and introducing significant surcharges, Shipex has decided to cancel all planned loadings from 2 March until 4 March.

As from tomorrow, 3 March, we will evaluate all upcoming loadings on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the most recent carrier updates.

In addition, MSC announced this afternoon that shippers are required to pick up all full containers at port of loading destined for the Persian Gulf, as these will not be shipped. Your Shipex Account Manager will contact you regarding the operational handling of this process.

We advise shippers to maintain flexibility in their loading and delivery planning in order to adapt to ongoing developments. Your Shipex representatives will keep you informed on a daily basis regarding all scheduled bookings for the impacted countries.