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Economy March 25, 2026

Maersk Warns Gulf Food Supplies at Risk as Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed

Board chair flags heavy regional dependence on imported food and outlines Maersk's response to shipping disruptions

By Jordan Park
Maersk Warns Gulf Food Supplies at Risk as Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed

A.P. Moller-Maersk board chair Robert Maersk Uggla told shareholders that the Gulf region faces a significant need to import food, much of it moved in refrigerated containers, and that the company is seeking alternate routes after the Strait of Hormuz was closed amid recent regional hostilities. The closure and associated attacks have brought Gulf shipping to a near halt, prompting Maersk to suspend bookings to several ports and to apply emergency bunker fuel surcharges globally.

Key Points

  • Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE import up to 85% of their food, increasing reliance on maritime cold chain logistics.
  • Maersk is the market leader in reefer containers in the region and is working to find alternative shipping routes after the Strait of Hormuz was closed.
  • Operational responses by Maersk include suspending cargo bookings to multiple Gulf ports and implementing emergency bunker fuel surcharges worldwide; sectors affected include shipping, food supply chains and energy-related fuel markets.

Robert Maersk Uggla, chair of the board at A.P. Moller-Maersk, told shareholders on Wednesday that the Middle East is contending with an acute dependence on food imports that has been disrupted by the recent Gulf conflict.

Uggla cited figures from the World Economic Forum showing that Gulf Cooperation Council countries - including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - import as much as 85% of their food. He highlighted the importance of cold chain logistics in that flow, noting Maersk's role in the market for refrigerated "reefer" containers in the region.

"This includes a pressing need for the import of food, often using cold chain solutions such as Maersk’s reefer containers, a segment where we are the market leader in the region," Uggla said at the Danish shipping group's annual general meeting.

The company is now operating in an environment where the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Uggla said Maersk is working to identify alternative shipping routes to maintain deliveries into the Gulf, but he did not provide further details on those contingency plans.

The disruption followed a round of military action that the article describes as starting with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran last month. Iran's response included attacks across the region and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has brought shipping in the Gulf to a near standstill and created disruptions across global supply chains.

In response to the rapid deterioration of maritime operations in the area, Maersk temporarily suspended cargo bookings to multiple ports in the Gulf and put in place emergency bunker fuel surcharges worldwide to help offset the impact of rising fuel costs.

Summary of the situation

The Gulf's heavy reliance on imported food moved mainly by refrigerated containers has been exposed by the recent conflict. With a key maritime chokepoint closed and regional attacks ongoing, Maersk is adjusting operations - including suspending bookings and adding fuel surcharges - while seeking alternate routes to deliver essential cargoes into the Gulf.

Risks

  • Continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz could further impede deliveries of imported food that rely on refrigerated containers, elevating risks for regional food supply chains and logistics firms.
  • Escalation of hostilities or prolonged disruptions in Gulf shipping could sustain higher bunker fuel costs and ongoing surcharges, pressuring global freight rates and companies dependent on maritime transport.
  • Uncertainty around alternative routing options - details of which Maersk did not provide - creates execution risk for timely delivery of cargo into Gulf ports and could affect import-dependent sectors.

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