Maersk warns of ongoing logistics disruptions in India, the Middle East, and Africa, urging shippers to prepare for variable lead times and reduced
Maersk has cautioned that trade and logistics flows across India, the Middle East, and Africa remain unsettled by geopolitical uncertainty and disruptions to maritime corridors, even as it resumes limited transits through the Suez Canal. The carrier warned that customers should plan for variable lead times and reduced schedule predictability in the near term.
Maersk pointed to several factors weighing on regional supply chains. In a recent statement, the company said that 'uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz, variable vessel waiting times, and high yard density at several regional ports continue to affect predictability.'
The carrier said it is adapting by reconfiguring its networks, deploying alternative gateways, expanding multimodal routing, sharpening capacity planning, and increasing operational monitoring. Despite these measures, Maersk advised shippers to build in flexibility.
'Customers should continue to plan for variable lead times, provide early visibility of anticipated volumes, maintain routing flexibility, and engage their Maersk representatives on the most suitable options as conditions evolve,' the company said.
Maersk confirmed it has recently begun transiting the Suez Canal on its AE15, MECL, and WAF6 services. The company framed the move as conditional rather than a wholesale shift back to the corridor that has served as a primary East–West artery.
'Additional trans-Suez sailings may be considered if security thresholds continue to be met,' the statement noted. 'However, this would not represent a full return of the East–West network to the trans-Suez corridor.'
Saudi Arabia's western gateways, particularly Jeddah and King Abdullah Port, remain central to Maersk's regional operations, handling domestic cargo alongside rising volumes moving to the wider Gulf through multimodal solutions. Sustained throughput and ongoing network adjustments, however, are straining terminal yards, container depots, customs operations, and trucking capacity, the company said.
'Customers may experience longer lead times, slower equipment turnaround, and reduced schedule predictability, which could lead to increased costs across inland transport and security-related operations,' Maersk warned. It added that 'conditions are expected to remain operationally challenging in the near term, with continued pressure on western ports and the supporting logistics infrastructure.'
For cargo owners weighing cost, reliability, and visibility, the guidance underscores a period in which early volume forecasting, routing flexibility, and close carrier coordination will remain essential to protecting delivery commitments.
