Maersk has kept broad cargo restrictions across the Gulf and introduced a new Strait of Hormuz emergency freight surcharge, signaling that commercial shipping still sees the region as highly unstable despite the latest diplomatic push to reopen the waterway. The carrier said bookings remain suspended or limited for several cargo categories across Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, parts of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while cargo already moving may face storage delays and alternative routing.
For TankerMap, the key signal is that the market has not returned to normal operating assumptions. Maersk is routing some cargo through Salalah and Khor Fakkan and moving it onward overland, while surcharge levels tied to rerouting and contingency costs underline how expensive Gulf disruption remains. TankerMap data context: if major operators keep restrictions and workaround corridors in place, tanker, product and LNG-linked supply chains around Gulf ports may continue to face delays, elevated costs and uneven port call patterns even if Hormuz formally reopens.