Global shipping giants CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd halt voyages through the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, rerouting vessels amid rising regional tensions and military activity.
PARIS: Two of the world’s largest shipping groups suspended all navigation through the Gulf on Saturday. The move came as military conflict flared between the United States, Israel and Iran, severely disrupting a key global maritime artery.
France’s CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container firm, ordered its vessels in the region to “take shelter” with immediate effect. The company also suspended all passage through the Suez Canal, rerouting ships around the Cape of Good Hope.
Hapag-Lloyd, the fifth-largest container carrier, similarly suspended all transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The vital waterway connects the Gulf to the open seas and is a crucial transit point for global oil shipments.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had warned several ships that the Strait of Hormuz was “basically closed,” according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. The EU’s naval mission confirmed vessels received radio messages from the IRGC stating the strait was blocked to traffic.
The United States separately warned commercial ships to stay away from the Gulf due to ongoing military activity. Shipping association BIMCO said commercial ships with Israeli or American ties could be at risk of being targeted.
According to data from Marine Tracker, traffic through the trade artery has plummeted. A slew of oil tankers have turned around or been stopped at the strait.
Approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil passed through the narrow waterway daily in 2024. This volume is equivalent to nearly 20% of global liquid oil consumption, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Other shipping lines, including Danish giant Maersk, warned clients of possible delivery delays as ships were rerouted. The diversions around Africa add thousands of kilometres and significant time to voyages.
The announcements compound a growing maritime slowdown in the region. The Strait of Hormuz is frequently the scene of ship seizures and attacks.
Airlines continued to suspend flights across parts of the Middle East on Sunday. Reporters in Tehran said they heard fresh strikes in the Iranian capital, the source of which was not immediately clear.
