The disruption, intensified by the Iran conflict and the continuing risk of attacks near Yemen’s coast, has pushed major carriers including MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk and Cosco to reroute vessels away from traditional Gulf and Suez-linked lanes, raising transport costs, extending delivery times and straining alternative ports across the region.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Jeddah has emerged as a key regional transit hub, receiving cargo through the Suez Canal before shipments are transferred by truck across desert highways to destinations including Sharjah, Bahrain and Kuwait, where direct maritime access has been disrupted for nearly two months.

“The port of Jeddah is not at all sized to handle such import volumes and a port congestion situation is emerging,” Arthur Barillas de The, co-founder of freight forwarder Ovrsea, said.Data from Kpler Marine Traffic showed 11 container ships docked in Jeddah on Thursday, with nine additional vessels waiting and average unloading delays rising to 36 hours, compared with 17 hours a week earlier.

Shipping operators have also increasingly relied on ports outside the Strait of Hormuz, including Sohar in Oman and the UAE ports of Khorfakkan and Fujairah, which are connected inland through road freight networks. Jordan’s Aqaba port has become a staging point for cargo moving into Baghdad and Basra, while a Turkish land corridor is supplying northern Iraq.

The wider rerouting of Asia-Europe trade began before the current Iran war but accelerated after attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces on commercial shipping in the Red Sea from late 2023, making passage through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and Suez Canal increasingly risky.Analysts say the diversion has now become structural.

Container ships are increasingly sailing around Africa’s eastern coastline, passing the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of South Africa before turning north toward Europe and the Mediterranean, replacing what was once the fastest maritime corridor between Asia and Europe.

“Today, 70% of the freight traffic that went through the Red Sea in 2023 is being rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope,” said Yves Guillo, a supply chain specialist at consultancy Efeso.Edouard Louis-Dreyfus, chairman of French shipping group Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, said the latest Gulf tensions had deepened an already entrenched shift.

“With the current situation in the Gulf, we have put several more coins in the machine, it’s not going to get better anytime soon,” he said.International Monetary Fund PortWatch data based on vessel GPS tracking showed commercial ship traffic around the Cape of Good Hope has more than tripled over the past three years, while traffic through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait has fallen by more than half.

Between March 1 and April 24 this year, an average of 20 commercial vessels passed around the Cape each day, compared with six during the same period in 2023. By contrast, daily traffic through Bab Al-Mandeb fell from 18 transits to five over the same timeframe.

The detours have added roughly two weeks to average Asia-Europe shipping times and significantly raised operating costs, with ships requiring 30% to 50% more fuel and fleets needing 10% to 20% more vessels to maintain the same delivery frequency, Guillo said.The average cost of shipping a standard 40-foot container on major trade routes rose 14% in April from a year earlier, according to the Drewry freight index cited by Efeso.

The shift has created winners and losers across the region.African ports such as Morocco’s Tanger Med have benefited from higher traffic volumes. The port authority said it handled 11 million standard containers in 2025, an increase of 8.4% from the previous year.

Egypt, however, has suffered a sharp fall in Suez Canal toll revenues, a major source of state income. Commodities publication CyclOpe estimated the country lost $7 billion in canal revenue in 2024, a decline of more than 60% from 2023 levels.

A planned joint acquisition of a major Barcelona container terminal is expected to move into a full EU investigation, adding regulatory pressure to a deal unfolding alongside wider global port negotiations.

The proposed acquisition of a Barcelona container terminal by MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited and investment firm BlackRock is preparing to enter a deeper level of scrutiny, as European regulators signal concerns that require a full examination of the Spanish transaction.

The deal focuses specifically on the purchase of Hutchison Ports’ terminal in Barcelona, a key Mediterranean facility that handles large volumes of container traffic and operates one of the region’s most important rail connections.

This terminal has the capacity to serve several mega-ships at the same time, while its eight-track rail system links the port directly to major transport corridors across Southern Europe.

EU regulators are expected to launch a full-scale investigation once the preliminary review period concludes in early December, with officials assessing whether the acquisition could reduce competition within Spain’s port infrastructure network.

A detailed inquiry typically spans several months or more, and companies under review may be asked to offer concessions or restructure elements of the deal to ease competition-related concerns.

The Barcelona transaction is separate from, and predates, discussions involving a broader bid by MSC and BlackRock for a large share of CK Hutchison’s global port assets, a separate multibillion-dollar portfolio spanning 43 ports across 23 countries.

That larger global package has become a highly sensitive matter due to geopolitical tensions, as several port locations touch critical global shipping lanes including the Panama Canal.

Although the European Commission is only reviewing the Spanish terminal transaction, there remains uncertainty over whether parts of the wider multinational portfolio could also draw regulatory attention in Europe at a later stage.

CK Hutchison, controlled by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing, is seeking to divest 80% of its global port business, a move attracting interest due to the scale, strategic positioning and long-term operational value of the assets.

The Barcelona terminal is one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the Mediterranean, offering deep-water berths, extensive container-handling equipment and direct rail links that streamline cargo distribution across the region.

MSC’s port subsidiary TiL already operates a terminal in Valencia, and the addition of another major Spanish location raises questions among regulators about market concentration and competitive balance.

Competition authorities are evaluating whether combined operational control could grant MSC more influence over cargo routes and port pricing, which is a key factor in determining whether concessions or divestments will be required.

BlackRock’s participation adds another layer to the analysis, as regulators examine the influence of a large global asset manager in sensitive logistics and transport infrastructure operations.

If the EU’s full-scale investigation proceeds as expected, the process will involve detailed data requests, market studies and assessments of both regional and cross-border impacts.

Such procedures often lead to negotiation phases, during which companies may propose remedies designed to preserve competition while still enabling the transaction to move forward.

The Barcelona acquisition is viewed as strategically important due to the port’s role in Mediterranean shipping, its ability to handle major vessel sizes and its strong connection to European inland markets.

The growing political sensitivity surrounding global port ownership adds further complexity, with governments increasingly attentive to how critical infrastructure is managed, financed and controlled.

As regulators prepare to intensify their review, industry observers note that the outcome may influence future port-related deals across Europe.

The months ahead will determine whether the transaction can progress in its current form, or whether significant modifications will be required to address concerns raised during the EU’s competition assessment.