CMA CGM became the global container line on Tuesday to suspend all cargo bookings to the Middle East as Iranian strikes disrupted shipping in the Persian Gulf.
Reports say that half a dozen oil and gas tankers have been damaged in the area. Athena Nova, a Honduran-flagged bitumen tanker operating out of the United Arab Emirates, was hit by two drones while attempting to cross the strait and sank.
The US-registered tanker Stena Imperative was damaged when it ran aground in the port of Bahrain. The crew was not injured in the attack, but one crew member was killed and two others were injured. The ship is part of the Navy’s Tanker Security Program, which supports international commerce and the U.S. Armed Forces.
“In light of the ongoing developments in the region, CMA CGM has decided to suspend all bookings with immediate effect,” the liner said in an advisory, “and until further notice for loading ports/outbound ports located in the following countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (all ports except Fujairah, Saudi Arabia), excluding Fujairah Port. Abdullah Port, Yanbu, NEOM and Iraq (Umm Qasr Port).
Maersk (MAERSK-B.CO) and MSC announced changes to their services in the region before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday. It mostly covers reefer and hazmat shipping. Hapag-Lloyd suspended all shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. OOCL advised its vessels to stay 200 nautical miles outside the waterway.
Maersk said 15 services were affected by the conflict.
Oil storage tanks in Fujairah, UAE, were targeted, resulting in a fire at the JSW terminal, said EOS Risk Group’s Martin Kelly. He said that Salalah port in Oman was attacked by drones and Duqm was attacked by drones for the second time. Saudi producer Aramco halted production at its Ras Tanura refinery and halted production of liquefied natural gas at Ras Laffan.
Daily charter rates for the largest crude carriers have fallen from $151,000 a day in mid-February, the highest since 2020, to more than $400,000 in the early days of the conflict, the sources said.
