The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is raising transport costs and forcing major container shipping lines to adjust routes, as carriers respond to higher fuel costs, supply disruption and mounting uncertainty across key sea lanes. Maersk and CMA CGM have both announced emergency fuel surcharges, while Drewry said its World Container Index rose 8% this week.
Maersk said it would impose a temporary global Emergency Bunker Surcharge from March 25, 2026, citing disruption to fuel availability, cost and fuel mix linked to the situation around the Strait of Hormuz. The company said the surcharge would apply worldwide without exception and would be reviewed every 14 days.
CMA CGM also announced an Emergency Fuel Surcharge effective from March 16, 2026, saying the measure was needed because of sharp fuel cost increases and exceptional volatility in Middle East markets. The surcharge will remain in place until further notice, subject to regulatory filings where required.
Drewry said the rise in container freight rates is now starting to show more clearly in the market. Its World Container Index climbed 8% to $2,123 per 40-foot container in the week to March 12, driven mainly by higher rates on the Asia-Europe route, with further gains on transpacific services.
Spot rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam rose 19% to $2,443 per 40-foot container, while Shanghai to Genoa increased 10% to $3,120. Furthermore, rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles rose 4% to $2,503 and Shanghai to New York increased 3% to $3,080.
Shipping patterns are also shifting. More container ships are continuing to bypass the Red Sea and sail around the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and cost to voyages between Asia and Europe. Separate reporting citing Drewry AIS data said 314 ships used that route in the two weeks to March 8, up from 309 in the previous period.
At the same time, some traffic is still moving through the Suez Canal. Some 64 container ships crossed the canal in the fortnight to March 8, compared with 44 in the previous comparable period, suggesting that some carriers are reconsidering selected passages through the region.
The impact is also being felt at major transhipment hubs. Reporting citing Drewry AIS tracking said weekly containership calls at Jebel Ali fell from about 100 a week in February to 18 in the week ended March 8, while no vessel arrivals were recorded in the final three days of that period.