Maersk Warns of Prolonged Hormuz Shutdown as Shipping Costs Surge

A.P. Moller–Maersk says the Strait of Hormuz crisis is now reshaping global shipping networks, with the carrier warning that the key energy chokepoint is likely to remain closed to commercial traffic while disruptions cascade across its entire logistics system.

In a customer advisory issued March 24, Maersk described the situation as “high-risk” and rapidly evolving, with continued strikes affecting ports and infrastructure across the region. While ports remain technically operational, the company said the security environment and ongoing conflict are severely constraining normal shipping activity.

The Danish shipping giant confirmed that logistics disruptions are intensifying—not just in the Middle East, but across global trade lanes—as network adjustments and rerouting ripple through supply chains. Schedule reliability is expected to remain under pressure into the second quarter before stabilizing, as it takes time for network changes to settle.

Fuel Supply Shock

One of the most immediate impacts is on fuel supply. Maersk said refinery outages and export constraints tied to the Hormuz closure have significantly disrupted global bunker markets, forcing vessels to refuel at alternative ports, often at elevated “war-zone” premiums. To manage the surge in costs, the company is introducing a global Emergency Bunker Surcharge effective March 25, underscoring how deeply the crisis is affecting shipping economics far beyond the Gulf itself.

At the same time, the carrier is imposing a Strait of Hormuz Emergency Freight surcharge on cargo linked to Gulf destinations, reflecting the cost of rerouting shipments, arranging temporary storage, and deploying additional capacity. Cargo already in transit is being diverted into a patchwork of contingency solutions, with customers asked to choose between storing shipments in intermediate ports, returning them to origin, or redirecting them to alternative destinations.

Operationally, Maersk has significantly scaled back its exposure to the Upper Gulf. Booking suspensions are now in place across much of the region, including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and eastern Saudi Arabia, with restrictions covering a wide range of cargo types. Limited exceptions remain for essential goods such as food and medicine, as well as select gateways like Jeddah, Salalah, and Aqaba.

To bypass maritime bottlenecks, Maersk is expanding landbridge solutions across the Gulf while leaning more heavily on air freight, even as aviation markets face their own fuel-driven cost pressures. These alternatives are designed to keep cargo moving into key markets despite the effective shutdown of seaborne routes through Hormuz.

Looking ahead, Maersk’s outlook remains cautious. The company expects the operating environment to stay volatile, with the Strait of Hormuz likely to remain closed to commercial cargo vessel transits and regional airspace disruptions continuing to complicate logistics planning.

For now, one of the world’s largest shipping networks is operating in contingency mode—rerouting cargo, reshaping fuel supply chains, and passing through rising costs—while the industry braces for a prolonged disruption at one of global trade’s most critical chokepoints.

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