The "Financial Times" reported that major shipping companies have begun using trucks to transport fuel amid the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the crisis in the Middle East.
The newspaper confirmed that in light of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, shipping rates on the "Shanghai-Gulf and Red Sea" line reached record levels this week, surpassing the levels recorded during the "Covid-19" pandemic.
It pointed out, citing data from "Clarksons" Research, that the ocean freight rate for a standard container on this line rose from $980 to $4,131 since May 15.
The magazine stated that "all major shipping companies, including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSK), Maersk, CMA-CGM and Hapag-Lloyd, have opened routes to transport cargo from Red Sea and Gulf of Oman ports."
The "Financial Times" quoted Maersk CEO, Vincent Clerc, as saying that a large number of trucks were used to transport shipments.
He noted that Saudi Arabia and Iraq allowed the entry of large numbers of trucks from Iraq, Jordan and Turkey.
However, the newspaper emphasized that trucks can only partially replace the capacity of container ships and large cargo vessels that used to serve the Arab Gulf states through the Strait of Hormuz.
