Strait of Hormuz Shipping Disruption 2026: Planning Guide

Key points

Container lines have avoided Hormuz since 28 February 2026; on some late-October days only 2 vessels crossed, against about 85 a day before the crisis.
Jebel Ali, Khalifa, Dammam, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Umm Qasr are working ports that ships cannot normally reach.
Land bridges from the UAE east coast, Oman and the Saudi Red Sea carry most Gulf cargo, under temporary customs measures.
Duty and VAT rates do not change, but higher freight raises the CIF base and the landed cost.

What happened to the Strait of Hormuz in 2026

28 February 2026US and Israeli strikes on Iran; Iran's Revolutionary Guard declares the strait closed. Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and other lines suspend transits.
March 2026Attacks on ships in and near the strait, mine-laying reports, and war-risk cover withdrawn or very expensive. Carriers start discharging Gulf cargo outside the strait.
8 April 2026A temporary ceasefire is agreed. It later breaks down.
17 June 2026A memorandum to end the war is signed and traffic briefly rises, mostly tankers. It also breaks down.
8–15 July 2026The interim truce collapses and the US reinstates its blockade of Iranian ports, creating a 'dual blockade'.
October 2026Monitoring services describe the strait as effectively closed to commercial traffic; October has the most attacks of any month since the war began.
Late October 2026Reports mention a draft US–Iran deal that could reopen the strait. Nothing is confirmed.

85daily Hormuz transits before the crisis

2transits recorded by IMF PortWatch on 25 October 2026

146mtonnes through Omani ports in January–August 2026, up from 90.5m

108,000loaded trucks crossed Hatta in H1 2026

Ports outside the strait that now carry Gulf cargo

Jebel Ali itself is operational and uncongested; its Q2 2026 volumes were reported about 90% below 2025 simply because ships cannot reach it. Carriers now discharge Gulf cargo at ports on the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, then move it inland.

Port	Country and coast	Role in 2026	Watch out for
Khor Fakkan	UAE (Sharjah), Gulf of Oman	Main discharge port for UAE cargo; bonded trucks to Jebel Ali	Berth and gate queues; capacity being expanded
Fujairah	UAE, Gulf of Oman	Discharge, then bonded trucks to Dubai	Carriers may switch bookings here at short notice
Sohar	Oman, Gulf of Oman	Oman gateway and land bridge to the UAE	Terminal priority for Omani cargo; short free storage
Salalah	Oman, Arabian Sea	Transshipment hub and empty-return depot	About 1,000 km from Muscat
Duqm	Oman, Arabian Sea	Secondary alternative	Fewer services
Jeddah and King Abdullah Port	Saudi Arabia, Red Sea	Land bridge to Riyadh, Dammam and other Gulf states	Sailings from China pass Bab el-Mandeb, which stays high-risk
Aqaba	Jordan, Red Sea	Land bridge for some Iraq cargo	Red Sea risk and a long road leg

SeaRoad

Land bridges: how cargo reaches the inner Gulf

Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026 lets containers move from Khor Fakkan or Fujairah to Jebel Ali and the Dubai free zones under seal, without clearance at the arrival port.
Only the carrier can request the transfer; DP World Logistics runs it.
Agents also offer bonded transit from Khor Fakkan to other GCC states.

Two more points matter for planning. Dubai Customs extended transit time limits from 30 to 90 days, which lowers the risk of a guarantee being called when trucks are delayed. And corridors close as well as open: in September 2026 one major carrier paused three landside corridors, including Salalah and Sohar to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Check the route at booking, not only at quotation.

Impact on cost and transit time

Item	Before March 2026	As of November 2026
Discharge port for Dubai	Jebel Ali, direct	Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar or Salalah, then truck
China to Jebel Ali transit	About 14–25 days port to port	Often a week or two longer, or more, and less predictable
Surcharges	Usual BAF, PSS and similar	Emergency freight, emergency bunker and war-risk charges added
Inland leg	Short local truck	Bonded land bridge; overland moves reported at 2.4–4.2 times the cost per ton-km
Reefer, DG and out-of-gauge	Normally bookable	Suspended by some carriers to many Gulf ports
Empty returns	At the discharge port	Designated depots, for example Salalah or Jeddah for one major line

Tax rates do not change because of the route. The UAE still charges 5% duty on the CIF value and 5% VAT, Oman 5% and 5%, and Saudi Arabia 5% duty on most lines with 15% VAT. What changes is the freight inside CIF and the local charges around it, so landed cost rises even when the rates stay the same. Use the calculator with your own figures.

DestinationDuty rate %Goods value (USD)Freight and insurance (USD)Units

CIF value–

Duty–

VAT–

Duty and VAT–

Landed cost–

Cost per unit–

Most goods from China pay 5% GCC duty on CIF, once, at the first GCC entry. VAT is on CIF + duty. Estimate only.

How to plan shipments while the strait is closed

Booking checklist for Gulf cargo in 2026

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Ask which discharge port the carrier will use and what happens if it changes
Confirm the B/L final destination and the customs treatment: bonded transfer, transit or local clearance
Get an all-in quote showing emergency surcharges, land bridge, storage and D&D terms
Allow extra time or buffer stock for longer, less predictable transit
Check whether reefer, DG or out-of-gauge cargo is accepted on the route
Prepare invoice, packing list and certificate of origin before loading
Confirm product approvals for the final country, such as ECAS or SABER
Note the empty return depot on the release
Move only urgent items to air or road where the numbers make sense

Which route fits your destination?

Quick check: routing around Hormuz

You import into Dubai. What is the most common routing as of November 2026?

Your buyer is in Riyadh. Which gateway is often used now?

Does landing outside the strait change your duty rate?

Goods for Muscat: which port avoids both the strait and a border crossing?

What Golden Way runs now

Our China to UAE service runs by sea to Khor Fakkan with a bonded truck to Jebel Ali, typically 18–30 days door to door. China to Oman runs by sea to Sohar and Muscat, typically 16–28 days. Daily trucks link the UAE with Oman and the Gulf states, typically 1–4 days. Trucking from the UAE through Riyadh to Jeddah and Kuwait is coming next and is not running yet. Times are typical and depend on sailings, borders and customs.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Strait of Hormuz open to container ships now?

As of early November 2026, no. It has been effectively closed to normal container shipping since 28 February 2026, and the few transits are mostly not container ships. Reports of a draft deal are unconfirmed, so we check every booking.

Is Jebel Ali port closed?

No. Jebel Ali is operational and uncongested, but ships cannot normally reach it, so cargo arrives by bonded truck from Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Omani ports.

How much longer does shipping to the Gulf take in 2026?

Often a week or two longer than before 2026, sometimes more, and less predictable. Our China to UAE route via Khor Fakkan typically takes 18–30 days door to door.

Why are Gulf freight costs higher in 2026?

Carriers add emergency freight, emergency bunker and war-risk surcharges, and the land bridge, storage and empty repositioning add more. Rates change weekly, so our team quotes within one working day.

Can I still ship dangerous goods or reefer containers to the Gulf?

Some carriers have suspended reefer, DG and out-of-gauge bookings to many Gulf ports in 2026. We check acceptance with the line before your supplier books.

Does the Red Sea route help?

For Saudi Arabia, Jeddah is a key gateway, but sailings from China pass Bab el-Mandeb, which remains high-risk. China to UAE and Oman sailings do not use the Red Sea.

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Sources

General information checked on the date shown. Rules and rates change: our team confirms the details for your shipment.

Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption 2026: what importers need to know