Maersk, the world's second-largest container line, has halted services to Israel's Port of Haifa. According to Maersk, the decision follows an analysis of risk reports about the conflict between Israel and Iran and its potential impact on crew safety. The company's advisory stated, "After carefully analyzing threat risk reports regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, particularly the potential risks of calling specific Israeli ports and their implications for the safety of our crews, Maersk has decided to temporarily suspend vessel calls at the Port of Haifa, Israel and also suspend cargo acceptance for Haifa."
The duration of this suspension remains unspecified. The region's escalation began on June 13 when Israel launched aerial attacks on Iranian military and nuclear sites. The U.S. followed with its bombing campaigns, targeting similar facilities. In retaliation, Tehran fired missiles at locations in Israel, including Haifa, and a U.S. base in Qatar.
This spike in regional tensions has influenced container rates. Data from SONAR indicates an increase in Drewry's World Container Index rates from Shanghai to Rotterdam, rising from $2,825 on June 12 to $3,171 by June 19.
Source: Freight Waves