Gulf carriers face empty box shortages as Hormuz closure traps capacity

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is now feeding into one of container shipping’s most practical problems: where the empty boxes are.

For shippers in Asia, the issue is no longer limited to vessel schedules, war risk premiums or rerouting maps. It is becoming a container availability problem. When loaded vessels cannot leave the Gulf on time, empty containers cannot return to manufacturing centres on time either.

That turns a geopolitical crisis into a booking desk problem at ports such as Shanghai, Ningbo and other Asian export gateways. Cargo may be ready, factories may be on schedule, but the box may not be there.

Maersk has told customers that empty containers for imports into the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia’s Dammam and Jubail, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and parts of Oman will not be accepted at normal return points until further notice.

Instead, the carrier has directed returns to selected depots in Salalah and Sohar in Oman, and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Maersk has also listed drop off charges for several locations, including charges running into four figures for some container types and locations.

The operational message is clear. Carriers want control of their equipment in a disrupted region where vessel movements remain uncertain and port options are limited.

For importers, that means a container is no longer simply returned after unloading. It may have to be moved across borders or to a different coastal gateway, adding inland cost, planning time and paperwork.

Hapag-Lloyd has also taken steps to limit exposure in the region. The carrier said export shipments where empty containers had not yet been picked up would be cancelled, while export boxes already gated into terminals should be collected again by customers because loading had been suspended.

That matters because empty container shortages do not appear only where boxes are missing. They also appear where boxes are stuck in the wrong place.

A container sitting in the Gulf cannot serve an exporter in China. A vessel waiting west of Hormuz cannot reposition equipment back into Asia. The system works like a conveyor belt. When one section stops, the shortage appears several links away.

Sea-Intelligence estimated in March that the Hormuz closure could trap about 204,000 TEU of deep sea container capacity in the Persian Gulf. That figure excluded local feeder vessels and focused on ships that were expected to leave the Gulf.

Reuters has also reported that Qatar controlled LNG tankers have continued limited transits, showing that Hormuz is not a simple open or shut case for every vessel at every moment. But container lines are still treating the waterway as a high risk corridor, with several ships stranded and alternative routing in use.

For cargo owners, that distinction matters. A limited tanker movement does not mean a container network has recovered. Container shipping depends on reliable loops, berth windows and equipment repositioning. Partial access can still leave the box cycle broken.

The early impact is being felt in Asia, where exporters rely on a steady return flow of empty containers. Industry reports point to shortages during peak periods as vessels avoid the Gulf, wait for clearance or reroute cargo through alternative ports.

This is where the crisis becomes familiar to logistics managers. The phrase “cargo ready, no container” is not new. It appeared during the pandemic and again during earlier network shocks. Hormuz adds another version of the same problem, but with a Middle East chokepoint at the centre.

For breakbulk and project cargo operators, the lesson is also relevant. Container shortages can spill into wider freight markets. When containers become tight, some shippers look at alternative modes, substitute cargo handling options or delayed project schedules. That can add pressure to multipurpose capacity, regional feeders and inland corridors.

The financial impact is following the operational disruption. War risk surcharges, equipment imbalance charges and additional inland moves are becoming part of the landed cost conversation.

Some shippers may accept higher costs to secure equipment. Others may delay cargo until empty boxes return to the right locations. The hard question is simple: what costs more, paying for the box now or missing the shipment window?

For Gulf importers, the cost exposure may sit in empty redelivery. For Asian exporters, it may appear as equipment scarcity. For forwarders, it may appear as a daily exercise in explaining why a confirmed order still cannot move.