The disruption is also likely to weigh on the company’s India operations, where CMA CGM supports intermodal transport to more than 270 inland destinations.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS/STEPHANE MAHE
CMA CGM, the French container shipping giant, has imposed an emergency conflict surcharge between $2,000 and $4,000 per container on cargo moving through the Middle East and surrounding waters effective March 2, citing safety risks stemming from the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
The surcharge applies to all bookings across 13 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt’s Port of Ain Sokhna, Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan.
“In continued efforts to ensure the safety of our crew, vessels and your cargo amid the ongoing developments in Iran and across the Arabian Peninsula, precautionary measures have been taken to safeguard operations in the affected areas,” the company said in a customer advisory issued on March 1.
The disruption is also likely to weigh on the company’s India operations, where CMA CGM supports intermodal transport to more than 270 inland destinations.
The carrier manages high-volume import and export flows at major Indian gateways, including Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Nhava Sheva, and has developed congestion-mitigation capabilities to ensure efficient cargo evacuation at these terminals.
A surcharge of $2,000 will be levied per 20-foot dry container, $3,000 per 40-foot dry container and $4,000 per refrigerated or specialist equipment unit. It covers all cargo types and will remain in place until further notice.
CMA CGM said the measures, while necessary for operational safety, would likely affect customers’ logistics and supply chains. For certain origins, the surcharge may be folded into the base freight rate, it added.
“We remain fully committed to maintaining service continuity and transparency during this challenging period,” the company said, adding that it would keep customers informed of significant developments.
The new charges stand to affect a broad range of commodities the carrier handles, including soft agricultural goods such as grains, coffee, sugar and rice — categories where CMA CGM has developed specialist expertise.
The company uses food-grade containers equipped with humidity controls to preserve cargo quality across these segments, alongside handling sunflower oil derivatives and other bulk agricultural products.
CMA CGM is the world’s third-largest container shipping group by capacity.
Published on March 2, 2026