Major shipping companies find partial solution to bypass blockade of Strait of Hormuz – FT

According to Ukrinform, Financial Times stated this in an article.

All major shipping companies — including MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd — have established cargo routes from Red Sea and Gulf of Oman ports, including Yanbu and King Abdullah Port in Saudi Arabia, as well as Fujairah in the UAE, to ports such as Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Basra in Iraq, and Jebel Ali in the UAE, the region's largest transport hub.

It is noted that trucks can replace only part of the capacity previously provided by large container ships and cargo vessels that transported goods through the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed to shipping since the start of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran on February 28.

Only a few vessels have been able to pass through the waterway each day, compared to roughly 135 daily crossings before the war.

Another 38 vessels have reportedly been attacked.

"The only way to get cargo there is via a land bridge... but of course the capacity of all these land bridges is much smaller," said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, during a recent company podcast.

He added that trade flows to the Persian Gulf region have fallen by 60–80%.

One shipping industry lawyer said ports are being forced to prioritize essential goods such as food and medicines.

The consumer products division of the Indian conglomerate Tata Group said that tea, salt, and legumes bound for the Middle East are now being shipped to ports such as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Khor Fakkan in the UAE for onward overland transportation.

A London-based shipping broker said grain traders are also rerouting cargo through Red Sea and Gulf of Oman ports before transporting it further by trucks and smaller vessels.

As Ukrinform previously reported, the United Arab Emirates plans to accelerate construction of a new oil pipeline to double export capacity through Fujairah by 2027, significantly expanding export capabilities while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Photo: Maersk