Maersk Suspends Suez and Hormuz Transits, Reroutes via Cape of Good Hope

Global trade faces renewed logistical strain after A.P. Moller–Maersk suspended sailings through the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal on March 1, 2026, citing deteriorating security conditions and crew safety. According to Ship & Bunker, the company said it will reroute services, including via the Cape of Good Hope, until conditions allow a safe resumption.

The suspension reflects elevated maritime risk following recent military strikes in the region and is framed as a protective step for crews, vessels, and cargo rather than a permanent withdrawal. The halt applies to two of the world’s most strategic chokepoints, temporarily altering east–west container flows and constraining capacity on multiple strings.

Operationally, such decisions are reviewed frequently as security assessments evolve. In practice, carriers activate heightened security protocols, reassess routing on a voyage-by-voyage basis, and coordinate closely with insurers and ports to maintain safe, legal, and insurable operations.

Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope typically adds days to Asia–Europe and Middle East–Europe loops, which can cascade into schedule slippage, port congestion, and equipment imbalances. Shippers should anticipate revised estimated times of arrival, potential blank or slid sailings, and tighter container availability in some export markets as fleets cycle more slowly.

Freight all-in costs can rise as carriers pass through contingency surcharges and higher insurance outlays tied to elevated risk profiles. Contract performance may also hinge on force majeure, deviation, and safety-of-ship clauses, with booking lead times lengthening as networks adjust and reliability metrics temporarily deteriorate.

Energy analysts have highlighted the scale of exposure if shipping through Hormuz remains disrupted, noting that typical crude flows through the corridor are material to global balances. Describing the immediate effect of the announcement, Jorge León, Head of Geopolitical Analysis at Rystad Energy, said the move amounted to an “effective halt of traffic through the strait,” and cautioned that sustained disruption could tighten oil markets.

Gas markets are also sensitive to shipping interruptions in the Gulf. According to Rabobank, short-term curbs to LNG exports from producers in the region, particularly Qatar, could lift benchmark gas prices if vessel movements are constrained.

Security guidance has shifted in tandem with the risk environment. Intertanko indicated that U.S. naval advisories warned against navigation across parts of the Persian Gulf, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, noting that safety for merchant traffic could not be guaranteed. Market risk specialists have characterized a full physical blockade as unlikely while emphasizing that crisis response plans and diversions are prudent; Arne Lohmann Rasmussen of Global Risk Management described conditions as volatile, with some ships reversing course to avoid hotspots.

What to watch includes de-escalation signals, the restoration of routine naval escorts or changed advisories, adjustments in war-risk insurance pricing and availability, and carrier notices on reinstating Hormuz and Suez routings. Any sustained improvement in maritime security would likely precede a phased return to standard schedules and the unwinding of Cape of Good Hope diversions.