Maersk, the world’s second-largest container carrier with a fleet capacity exceeding 4.7 million TEU, has introduced an additional fee of US$1,000 per container for cargo carried on any vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The charge, disclosed in the company’s Middle East Operational Update 40 dated July 22, applies to existing ocean bookings and cargo already in transit.
The transit fee sits on top of a separate emergency freight rate that Maersk is applying to cargo loading from or destined for a defined list of Gulf ports. That surcharge, set by container category and subject to required regulatory approvals, is priced at US$1,800 per 20-foot dry container, US$3,000 per 40-foot dry container, and US$3,800 per reefer, special, and dangerous goods (DG) container.
According to the update, the emergency freight rate covers cargo moving through ports in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail), Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, with Salalah excluded from the affected ports.
Response to a Volatile Corridor
The carrier said the measures are intended to protect cargo, maintain network stability, and support customers through alternative transport solutions as conditions in the region remain highly volatile. Maersk framed the fees as a means of funding contingency operations, including alternative routing to final destinations, potential storage solutions, and additional charters.
The company clarified that the emergency freight rate includes transportation from temporary storage to final destination once it is safe to complete the voyage. Given the fluidity of the situation, Maersk noted the rate may be adjusted.
The new charges arrive against a backdrop of sustained geopolitical instability across the Middle East. Heightened security risks in the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint through which a significant share of global seaborne trade passes—together with continued pressure on Red Sea shipping lanes from Houthi activity, have forced carriers to reassess routing, insurance exposure, and cost structures.
What It Means for Cargo Owners
For shippers moving goods through the Gulf, the combined surcharges translate into materially higher landed costs and add a fresh layer of uncertainty to transit planning. Cargo owners weighing budgets and delivery commitments will need to factor both the emergency freight rate and the Hormuz transit fee into shipment decisions, while monitoring the carrier’s guidance for any further adjustments.
Maersk’s move reflects a broader recalibration underway across the container shipping sector, where carriers are balancing cargo protection, schedule reliability, and cost recovery amid one of the most disrupted operating environments in recent years. The measures underscore how quickly rate structures can shift when a critical trade artery comes under strain.
