Just like any kind of industry in times of war, the maritime industry has lost a piece of its peacefully chaotic routine among the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Israel owns many impactful ports such as Haifa, Ashdod, Eilat, and Ashkelon, which play an active role in the shipping industry, so naturally when the country is at war the strains are strongly felt on its shipping ports.
Since the start of the Hamas attacks on the 9th of October 2023, Israel ports have been struggling to function as normally as before but some ports such as Ashdod have been forced to enter the “Emergency Mode” and some others such as Ashkelon stopped their operations due to their proximity to the attacks. Israel’s largest port, Haifa, has been operating under strict security codes. Shipping Hazardous products has been either forbidden or closely analyzed.
Apart from the direct influence on the ports, this long-lasting feud has caused a bit of ocean rates decrease in Asian and European imports to Israel. Alongside this rate fall, a War Risk surcharge of USD 100 for 20’ and USD 200 for 40’ containers has been applied to Israeli shipments. Although all in all, with the decrease and the surcharge, the freight rates have not been rippled.
Although major lines such as Maersk and MSC have assured importers and exporters of getting a smooth delivery, shipping companies can’t help their worry and wish for a peaceful world.
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