Hapag-Lloyd on US Hormuz blockade: ‘We won’t be the first to pass through’

German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd’s vessels will not resume transiting the Strait of Hormuz for now as the situation remains tense.

From Hapag-Lloyd’s view, as long as there are mines, passage is not possible, and in addition, insurance for passage is also difficult to obtain at this time.

Although the container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd does not have any vessels in Iranian ports and this new blockage is not directly affecting the company – as their vessels are in different anchorages in the Persian Gulf area – the company’s spokesperson says Hapag-Lloyd will continue to refrain from transiting the strait at the moment.

The company’s message is clear: “No trip without insurance cover.”

A spokesman for Hapag-Lloyd told German tabloid newspaper Bild that “we will for sure not be the first to pass as the health and safety of our seafarers is our highest priority.”

Nils Haupt, senior director corporate communications at Hapag-Lloyd, told Bild that it will become clear in the coming days how things will progress.

The company is also closely monitoring the progress in the mine clearance. Trump announced during the weekend that US forces began setting conditions for clearing the mines in the Strait, April 11, as two navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations.

“It’s a difficult situation,” Haupt said to Bild. “And our ships will transit the Strait when it is fully safe. We have sufficient supplies for the crew i.e. fresh water and food in case the ships stay longer in the area.”

Negotiations in Islamabad at the weekend fell apart with the US senior officials, led by vice president JD Vance, blaming Iran’s refusal to give up its nuclear program and Tehran saying it encountered “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.”

The news dealt a blow to hopes for an end to the conflict, which has sent oil prices soaring, pushing inflation up and sending shivers through the global economy.

The US military said Sunday it will blockade all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET., effectively seizing control of maritime traffic.

Trump warned on social media that any Iranian fast attack ship that come “anywhere close” to the U.S. blockade will be immediately eliminated.

The US naval blockade on Iranian ports is now in effect after weekend peace talks with Iran in Pakistan collapsed. According to analysts, the blockade is part of an effort to force Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz and agree to a permanent peace agreement.

From their standpoint, the blockade is considered another pressure tactic – one intended to increase the temperature on Iran to return to talks in a more conciliatory fashion.

Shortly after the blockade, Trump warned that Iranian ships that come “anywhere close” to the U.S. blockade will be destroyed by a “quick and brutal” strike.

“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Speaking to reporters on Monday in a regular press briefing, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China stands ready to work with others to jointly safeguard global energy security and keep supply chains stable.

The British prime minister Keir Starmer also warned that the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is deeply damaging. “Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures,” he said in a short media post on X.

As it is reported, this week the UK and France will co-host a summit to advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends.

US vice president accused Iran of ‘economic terrorism’ by blocking Hormuz

US vice president JD Vance accused the Iranian government of engaging in an “act of economic terrorism” by blocking traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance told Fox News ‘Special Report’ that if the Iranians “engage in economic terrorism” the US will abide the principle that “no Iranian ships are getting out either.”

Vance also discussed the talks with Iran over the weekend saying a lot of progress was made.

“The ball is in Iran’s court,” he said.

Concern that supplies on ships may start running low: IMO chief warns

Many vessels remain stranded in the Gulf, with new shipments yet to enter the corridor. Shipowners and insurers are reluctant to risk costly assets and crews amid ongoing insecurity. Even if tensions ease, it could take days or weeks for traffic to normalise.

Much of the cargo that left the Gulf before the crisis has already reached its destination – meaning the world is now entering a phase where supplies could begin to tighten.

In normal times, 35 per cent of global crude oil – some 20 million barrels – along with 30 per cent of fertilizer trade and a fifth of liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz daily, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Disruptions in maritime trade have already had direct effects in the region and beyond, with increased global economic fragility and insecurity in many sectors. 

The UN warned that “disruption of fertilizer and its inputs further exacerbate food insecurity for millions of vulnerable people around the world, adding to the rising cost of living due to impacts from fuel, transportation and supply chain disruptions.”

Meanwhile, some 20,000 seafarers remain stranded on ships in the Persian Gulf and are “facing increasing hardships daily,” the UN statement recalled.

The head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, highlighted the risks in remarks to country delegations gathered for a meeting to discuss security threats at sea.

“It would be very simple for anyone to imagine being in a situation where you have been trapped on board a ship without being able to navigate for over a month now,” he said.

“There is always the concern that supplies may start running low. There is the constant threat that a ship may be targeted or attacked, which endangers the lives of the seafarers.”

After weeks of destruction & distress, it is clear that there is no military solution to the current conflict in the Middle East.

I call for resumption of talks for an agreement to be reached.

The ceasfire must absolutely be preserved. All violations must cease.

All parties to…

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 13, 2026