Reefer bookings into the Gulf stay restricted as carriers stack up emergency surcharges

Reefer bookings into most Gulf ports are still suspended and emergency surcharges of USD 2,200–4,400 per reefer container now sit on top of base freight.

Maersk's latest Middle East operational update (23 September 2026) keeps all reefer bookings suspended to and from Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia (Dammam, Al Jubail and King Abdullah port), and to the UAE outside Khor Fakkan and Jebel Ali, where acceptance is handled via landbridge. Bookings are accepted to and from Lebanon, Israel, Oman (Salalah and Sohar) and Khor Fakkan in the UAE on import. Dry and frozen cargo are accepted on the landbridge and domestic services, subject to capacity.

Where frozen cargo does move, the additional cost is charged per container on top of base ocean freight:

• Maersk emergency freight on cargo loading from or destined to Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jubail), Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman except Salalah: USD 1,800 per 20 ft dry, USD 3,000 per 40 ft dry and USD 3,800 per reefer, special or dangerous-goods container, with an extra USD 1,000 per container on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The rate includes 14 days of storage in transit; beyond that storage is USD 25 per TEU per day, with reefer plug-in charged at cost.
• Hapag-Lloyd has applied a Middle East Emergency Surcharge to its feeder arrangement for Aden-bound cargo held in Jeddah: USD 2,200 per 20 ft reefer and USD 4,400 per 40 ft reefer, against USD 1,700 and USD 3,400 for dry, in addition to applicable freight, war risk surcharge and port charges.
• RCL's September 2026 low-sulphur surcharge (LGGR) is USD 585 per reefer container from Asia to the Red Sea, USD 450 to the Middle East and USD 583 to East Africa, against USD 485 for non-reefer cargo on the Red Sea route. RCL calculated the September rates on low-sulphur fuel oil averaging USD 850.1–900 per tonne.

Three practical consequences for importers of frozen poultry: book reefer space early and confirm acceptance port by port, since the suspension list changes with each carrier update; ask for quotations that show the surcharge lines separately, because an all-in freight number can conceal USD 3,000–5,000 per container; and treat the 14 days of free storage in transit as a planning limit rather than a free allowance.

Nau International Food Group supplies frozen halal chicken — boneless skinless breast and leg quarters — and frozen mackerel from China to the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, with a halal certificate, HACCP certification (115HACCP2500478), GACC-registered plant documentation (0900/03003), veterinary and health certificates and a certificate of origin on every consignment. Product is blast-frozen and held at −18 °C with a 365-day shelf life; packing is 2 kg × 6 for breast and 10 kg × 1 for leg quarters; minimum order one 40 ft reefer (28.008 tonnes); payment 100% T/T or L/C; shipment within 30 days of receipt of payment. We can arrange customs clearance into Dubai and quote FOB, CIF or DDP Jebel Ali — write to info@naufoodgroup.com.

Source: Maersk Middle East operational update, 23 September 2026; Hapag-Lloyd Middle East Emergency Surcharge for Jeddah–Aden cargo, reported 18 September 2026; RCL LGGR notice for September 2026 issued 17 August 2026.