Global Shipping Diverts Around Africa

(MENAFN) Commercial vessel movement through the Strait of Hormuz dropped by 90% amid intensifying Middle East tensions, forcing international maritime trade to bypass the region via the Cape of Good Hope, situated at the southern extremity of the Cape Peninsula, roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Cape Town, South Africa.

Following Tehran's blockade of this vital energy and oil passage in retaliation to joint US-Israeli assaults on Iran, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center elevated the transport corridor's security threat to critical, causing insurers to immediately suspend war-risk coverage for ships operating in the area.

Only four vessels passed through the strait on March 3, representing a 90% decline compared to the prior seven-day average, according to live tracking information from Windward.

Historically, the strait managed an average of 138 ships daily.

Oil tanker movements mirrored this plunge, with a 90% reduction from pre-attack figures, as per data from MarineTraffic.

Meanwhile, traffic along the Cape of Good Hope recorded 94 transits on March 3, a 35% rise compared with the route’s previous seven-day average.

Leading shipping companies such as Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, and Maersk halted all Gulf operations and redirected vessels around Africa’s southern tip, extending delivery times by 10–20 days and increasing transportation expenses.

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