Global container shipping giants A.P. Moller-Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd confirmed Tuesday they are maintaining suspensions on Hormuz transits despite President Trump’s decision to extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire indefinitely. The shipping industry’s continued caution reflects the underlying reality that the Strait of Hormuz remains functionally closed, and the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.
Both carriers cited continued threats to commercial shipping, including Iranian Revolutionary Guard warnings that vessels approaching the strait will be “treated as cooperating with the enemy.” The IRGC’s gunboats fired on Indian-flagged tankers Sanmar Herald and MSC Ishyka earlier in the conflict, and a separate container ship was struck by an unknown projectile off the Oman coast.
The suspensions mean Asia-Europe and Middle East-origin container traffic continues to route around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 days per voyage and significant fuel costs. Industry-wide, the rerouting has removed effective shipping capacity from the market just as global goods trade is entering a seasonal buildup.
Marine insurance premiums for Gulf transits remain at 1-2% of hull value, a level that makes some commercial routes economically unviable without government indemnification. Several shipowners have requested that flag-state insurers or export credit agencies underwrite residual risk, but broad-based solutions have not materialized.
The shipping industry’s posture serves as a real-time signal of how credible the ceasefire actually is. When Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, and CMA CGM lift their Hormuz suspensions, the market will treat that as a genuine de-escalation signal. Until then, the supply-chain impact of the crisis continues regardless of diplomatic statements.