Hapag-Lloyd CEO cites resilient demand, but sees shipping market exposed to Middle East disruption

Hapag-Lloyd Chief Executive Rolf Habben Jansen said container shipping demand has remained more resilient than expected, but warned that conflict-driven route disruptions, rising operating costs and uncertainty over a return to the Red Sea continue to shape the industry’s outlook. Speaking in recent public appearances and customer communications, Habben Jansen characterized the operating environment as increasingly unpredictable, with the situation in the Middle East remaining “very strained and fluid.” Hapag-Lloyd has suspended transits through the Strait of Hormuz, prioritizing the safety of crews and employees as regional security risks affect vessel deployments. The disruption has supported volatile freight rates and added significant costs to carrier networks. Hapag-Lloyd said bunker fuel, insurance, container handling and inland transportation expenses have increased, while disruption-related costs were running at about $50 million to $60 million per week during the period covered by its June customer call.