According to The Loadstar, historically high freight yields are driving new dedicated container services between India and the Middle East, with Maersk recently launching a shuttle loop from Nhava Sheva (JNPA) to Khor Fakkan in the UAE to improve service reliability.
New Maersk shuttle begins 24 September
The Maersk Namibia, a 2,600 teu vessel, departed JNPA on 24 September to inaugurate the new standalone shuttle loop. The service is scheduled at a fortnightly frequency, according to industry sources. It complements Maersk’s existing regular sailings between JNPA and Salalah in Oman — a key hub for the Gemini alliance of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd.
Khor Fakkan has gained strategic importance as an import gateway for the Middle East, especially amid ongoing constraints around the Strait of Hormuz corridor. Average spot rates from Nhava Sheva to Khor Fakkan now range between $6,000 and $7,000 per 40ft container — reflecting acute capacity pressure and routing volatility.
Ocean rates to other Gulf ports have surged further: bookings from JNPA to Dammam in Saudi Arabia reach as high as $9,500 per 40ft, while shipments to Umm Qasr in Iraq command approximately $10,000 per 40ft hi-cube container.
Emerging carriers enter Asia–Middle East trade
Asia-centric regional lines are intensifying activity on India–Persian Gulf routes. Emerging Chinese carrier CULines has firm plans for an Asia–Middle East service beginning in late 2026 or early 2027, reportedly under a vessel-sharing agreement with other major intra-Asia carriers. CULines has expanded its liner network recently through ship acquisitions and geographic reach beyond traditional Asian markets.
Another recent entrant is UAE-based Marsa Ocean Shipping, which last month launched a feeder service linking Cochin and JNPA to Fujairah in the UAE and Sohar in Oman. These moves reflect opportunistic network adjustments amid persistent port-level instability across the region.
Hapag-Lloyd last week notified customers it would not accept new Upper Gulf bookings transhipped via Salalah until further notice — just two months after reopening such bookings following a prolonged suspension. This stop-start pattern underscores broader operational fragility.
Surcharges rise amid landside bottlenecks
Persistent landside challenges — particularly shortages of truck fleets needed to move imports overland across Middle Eastern borders — continue to strain port gateways. In response, carriers are rolling out surcharges to recover escalating costs. MSC has just implemented a new “regional cost recovery surcharge” of $1,000 per teu and $2,000 per 40ft container for cargo booked from Europe to the UAE and Upper Gulf.
These surcharges, combined with elevated base rates, signal that structural inefficiencies in cross-border inland transport are now directly feeding into ocean pricing structures — reinforcing the ‘bumpy’ nature of the India–Middle East trade lane.
Source: The Loadstar
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
