As the Middle East conflict continues to develop, we now have confirmed announcements from the world's major ocean carriers and airlines detailing emergency surcharges, service suspensions, and route changes. The impact on Australian importers and exporters is real, immediate, and significant. At D&D Worldwide Logistics, we are committed to keeping you fully informed and working alongside you every step of the way.

Australian Industry Confirms Direct Impact

Australia's Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) have jointly confirmed that the conflict is already having direct and measurable impacts on Australian supply chains. Members are reporting immediate commercial impacts, including increased transit times, schedule unreliability for sea freight, and substantial unplanned costs arising from new conflict and war risk surcharges — running into the thousands of US dollars per container, in some cases applying to cargo already in transit.

Australia is heavily dependent on imported fuel and fertiliser, with the Middle East a major source of both. Fertilizer Australia has flagged concerns ahead of the national seeding season beginning next month.

Confirmed Ocean Carrier Surcharges & Service Changes

The following has been officially announced by major ocean carriers effective 2 March 2026:

Hapag-Lloyd — War Risk Surcharge (WRS)

–     Standard containers: USD $1,500 per TEU

–     Reefers & special equipment: USD $3,500 per TEU

–     Applies to: All Arabian Gulf, Upper Gulf & Persian Gulf cargo

–     Important: May apply to cargo already on the water but not yet discharged

–     Trans-Suez MECL and ME11/IMX services rerouted via Cape of Good Hope

CMA CGM — Emergency Conflict Surcharge (ECS)

–     20ft dry container: USD $2,000

–     40ft dry container: USD $3,000

–     Reefer & special equipment: USD $4,000

–     Applies to: Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Port of Ain Sokhna, Djibouti, Sudan & Eritrea

–     All CMA CGM vessels inside or heading for the Persian Gulf instructed to shelter immediately

Maersk

–     MECL (Middle East–India to US East Coast) service rerouted via Cape of Good Hope

–     ME11/IMX (Middle East–India to Mediterranean) service also reverting to Cape of Good Hope route

–     Customers cautioned on service disruptions to/from UAE, Oman and Qatar

MSC, ONE, PIL, HMM, COSCO & OOCL

–     All have temporarily suspended new bookings for Middle East destinations until further notice

Strait of Hormuz

–     Vessel traffic dropped 81% below the 7-day average on Sunday

–     Three oil tankers attacked — seafarers injured and evacuated

–     All major carriers have issued full suspension of transits through the Strait

–     Insurance companies are cancelling war risk coverage for Hormuz transits

Confirmed Airline Suspensions & Air Freight Disruption

•      Emirates & Emirates SkyCargo — Suspended until further notice. SkyCargo suspended until at least 15:00 UAE time Monday 2 March, with extension expected.

•      Etihad Airways — All flights suspended

•      Qatar Airways — All flights suspended

•      British Airways, Lufthansa Group, Air France/KLM — Suspended to Gulf & Middle East destinations, minimum until 3–8 March

•      Air India & IndiGo — All Middle East routes suspended; hundreds of flights cancelled through to 3 March minimum

•      China Airlines Group (China Southern & affiliates) — Special refund/rebooking policies in place through 15 March

•      Airspace closures confirmed over 11 countries: Iran, Iraq, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Oman

Belly cargo capacity is severely reduced across all affected routes due to passenger flight cancellations. Freighter operations are also disrupted by airspace closures, with rerouting via Central Asia or southern corridors. Cargo backlogs are building at origin airports and are expected to take weeks to clear once airspace reopens.

Australian Trade Lane Impact — What to Expect

•      ✈️  AIR FREIGHT: Europe–Australia, Middle East–Australia, South Asia–Australia, UK–Australia, East Africa–Australia — all severely disrupted. Expect major delays and significant air freight rate increases due to capacity reduction.

•      🚢  SEA FREIGHT: Australia–Middle East, Australia–Europe, Australia–UK — all impacted by Hormuz closure and Red Sea disruption. Cape of Good Hope diversions add 14+ days to voyage times. Surcharges of USD $1,500–$4,000 per container now in effect from major carriers.

•      ⛽  FUEL & FERTILISER: Australia's dependence on Middle East fuel and fertiliser imports creates direct supply chain vulnerability. Oil price increases expected to flow through to all freight modes via bunker and fuel surcharges.

•      💰  COSTS: Australian importers and exporters face immediate and substantial unplanned cost increases. FTA/APSA confirm these surcharges, in some cases, apply to cargo already in transit.

How D&D Worldwide Logistics Is Supporting You

•      Working closely with all our carrier partners, airline contacts, and global agent network to identify and secure viable alternative routings

•      Proactively reviewing all current and upcoming shipments with exposure to affected regions — and reaching out directly to clients with specific impacts

•      Monitoring carrier surcharge announcements and booking status in real time so you are not caught off guard

•      Providing frank and transparent advice on cost implications, timing risks, and the best available options for your specific cargo

•      Keeping all clients updated as the situation evolves — we will not leave you navigating this alone

What We Recommend You Do Right Now

•      Contact our team immediately for any urgent, time-sensitive, perishable, or business-critical cargo

•      Do not assume any current routing through the Gulf, Middle East, Red Sea or Suez is operable — confirm with us first

•      Treat all open freight quotes on affected lanes as subject to revision — reconfirm with our team before committing

•      Contact your cargo insurance broker today — war risk clauses are almost certainly triggered and some insurers are withdrawing coverage for Hormuz transits

•      Build significant additional lead time into all supply chain planning across affected lanes

•      Advise our team of any flexibility in your delivery deadlines — this helps us find better solutions for you

We will continue to update this page as carrier announcements and the broader situation develop. Our job is to make your job easier — and that means being here, being transparent, and doing everything we can to keep your cargo moving.

Our sincere thoughts and prayers go to all our friends, partners, and their families across the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Israel, Iran and Pakistan. We hope for your safety and a swift and peaceful resolution.