Shipping lines suspend bookings from Bangladesh

Danish shipping giant Maersk has suspended all new cargo bookings between the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh, and the Gulf region amid the evolving situation in the Middle East.

“Effective immediately, we are suspending all new bookings between the Indian Subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) and the Upper Gulf markets of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail only). This suspension does not apply to other trade corridors,” it said in an advisory published on its website on Monday.

The announcement comes as Iran warns of attacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s major trade routes, amid escalating conflict.

Maersk said it has suspended accepting all reefer, dangerous and special cargo to and from the UAE, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with immediate effect until further notice.

MAJOR CARRIERS HALT GULF ROUTES

Earlier, several global shipping lines such as MSC, CMA CGM, Cosco and HMM also announced the suspension of Middle East cargo bookings.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), in a customer advisory issued on March 1, declared a booking suspension for worldwide cargo to the Middle East.

MSC said: “As a precautionary measure, MSC has suspended all bookings for worldwide cargo to the Middle East region until further notice. Middle East bookings will resume as soon as the security situation improves.”

France’s CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container line, issued an advisory the same day for its customers considering the evolving security situation in the Middle East and the restrictions on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

In the advisory, CMA CGM instructed all vessels inside and bound for the Persian Gulf to proceed to shelter with immediate effect.

It also suspended passage through the Suez Canal until further notice and asked vessels to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope.

Chinese shipping giant Cosco, meanwhile, has announced suspension of operations and ordered its ships already in or bound for the Gulf region to take shelter.