MORENICE CHINA TRADE & SHIPPING UPDATE · SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
Hormuz tanker attacks raise Gulf shipping risk as September capacity remains tight
Middle East shipping risk increased materially on September 1 after two Saudi-linked crude tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, container carriers are entering September with continued blank sailings and contingency routings. China has also issued fresh overseas-compliance guidance for its automotive sector, reinforcing the broader trend toward tighter export and overseas-operating discipline.
1. Strait of Hormuz risk escalated after tanker attacks
Two supertankers carrying Saudi crude were struck by projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on September 1. No casualties were reported, but the attacks represent another escalation in an already unstable shipping corridor.
The disruption is already reshaping regional cargo flows. Reuters reported that Jordan’s Aqaba port saw transit cargo rise 155.1% year on year in the first half of 2026, driven largely by increased shipments to Iraq as traders sought alternatives to Gulf routes.
Hapag-Lloyd continues to offer alternative Upper Gulf connections through Fujairah, Khorfakkan and Jeddah-linked landbridge or feeder arrangements, while warning that schedules remain dependent on security and capacity.
For Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia, buyers should now treat routing as a commercial-risk issue, not just a logistics detail.
Before shipment, confirm:
actual discharge route→transshipment point→inland/feeder leg→customs responsibility→additional charges→cargo insurance
For Iraq-bound cargo in particular, Aqaba and Jeddah-linked alternatives may be worth comparing with traditional Gulf routings.
Fast-changing: Middle East security conditions can change quickly. Routing should be reconfirmed immediately before loading.
2. September blank sailings still create space and rollover risk
Drewry’s latest available World Container Index stood at USD 4,473 per 40ft container on August 27, down 1% week on week.
However, carriers announced 45 blank sailings across major East–West routes for the five weeks from August 31 to October 4, equal to around 6% of scheduled sailings. More than half of those cancellations were on the Transpacific eastbound trade.
Drewry’s Intra-Asia Container Index also rose 10% to USD 1,199 per 40ft container in its latest assessment.
Do not interpret a small decline in spot rates as evidence that September shipping is becoming easy.
For time-sensitive China orders, confirm:
space availability→actual sailing→cutoff→rollover policy→transshipment schedule
The cheapest quote may be less valuable if it moves on a sailing with higher rollover risk.
3. China strengthens overseas compliance expectations for automotive exporters
On September 1, China’s Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and State Administration for Market Regulation issued new guidance on overseas competition and compliance for the automotive industry.
The guidance covers overseas marketing, fair competition, product quality, safety, labour compliance, data security and other operating requirements for Chinese automotive companies expanding internationally.
The Ministry of Commerce noted that China exported 8.32 million vehicles in 2025 to more than 200 markets.
Overseas buyers sourcing Chinese vehicles, EVs, automotive components or related products should increasingly verify more than price and factory capacity.
Checks should include:
export eligibility→product certification→destination-market compliance→after-sales capability→documentation authenticity
This is particularly relevant for EVs and vehicle exports, where China already operates specific export-licensing requirements for certain categories.
4. Middle East buyers should expect alternative logistics to carry extra cost and time
Hapag-Lloyd’s current Upper Gulf contingency framework allows cargo to move through alternative gateways such as Fujairah and Khorfakkan, followed by landbridge or feeder connections.
The carrier states that bonded movement between Fujairah/Khorfakkan and Jebel Ali/Sharjah may take approximately five days, while feeder rotations are not guaranteed on a fixed weekly schedule.
Cargo moving through Jeddah toward the Upper Gulf may also require customers to arrange customs clearance and onward transport, with storage, terminal and relocation costs potentially falling to the shipper.
When comparing Middle East freight quotations, request a full-route cost, not only a China-to-port ocean rate.
Ask specifically whether the quote includes:
transshipment+landbridge+customs+terminal handling+storage exposure+final delivery
MORENICE BUYER NOTE
The most important change today is the renewed increase in Middle East routing risk.
For overseas buyers, especially those shipping to Iraq and the Gulf, a safer purchasing workflow is:
Verify supplier→verify product→confirm export compliance→confirm actual shipping route→calculate full landed cost→then pay
In unstable markets, visibility is more valuable than a cheap headline freight rate.
MORENICE · YIWU, CHINA
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