South Korean shipowner HMM has decided to alter the handling of cargo with connections to the Middle East, in a direct response to worsening maritime instability in the region. The South Korean carrier considers that the current security situation no longer guarantees normal conditions for maintaining calls and services in several sensitive zones, namely the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Horn of Africa.
Given this context, the company has opted to divert cargo already in transit to alternative ports whenever operationally and security-wise necessary. This change will entail the application of a diversion recovery surcharge of one thousand dollars per container, intended to cover additional costs associated with the new cargo routing, including port operations and storage. In the case of cargo already booked but not yet shipped, HMM warns that these shipments can no longer proceed to the affected destinations for the time being. Once containers have entered a terminal, cargo may be withdrawn by customers, with charges and risks of that operation on their side, or else subject to the contractual conditions in force. At the same time, the carrier has suspended, with immediate effect and for an indefinite period, acceptance of new bookings originating from or destined for ports located in the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Horn of Africa.
HMM's decision confirms the growing impact of the Middle East crisis on international maritime transport. As risks to commercial navigation multiply, so too do costs, uncertainty in logistics chains, and pressure on shipowners, shippers, and terminals.
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Source: https://portaldomar.org/2026/03/11/hmm-desvia-cargas-do-medio-oriente-e-trava-novas-reservas/
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