Cosco Resumes Accepting Gulf Cargo Bookings

2026-03-28 06:56:22

(MENAFN) Chinese shipping behemoth Cosco, among the world’s largest operators of oil tankers, has reopened new container cargo bookings to Gulf nations as of Wednesday, signaling a cautious step toward restoring maritime trade disrupted by surging regional tensions.

In an official company statement, Cosco confirmed that reservations are once again being accepted for general cargo container transport originating from Far East nations, with destinations including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq. The company issued a firm caveat, however, warning that all new bookings and shipments remain vulnerable to revision given the volatile conditions across the Middle East.

Notably absent from the announcement was any reference to the resumption of fuel shipments or tanker operations. Nevertheless, market analysts interpreted the development as a potential indicator of a limited arrangement with Tehran aimed at securing safer transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Cosco had moved earlier this month to halt cargo services to and from multiple Gulf destinations, directly citing the deteriorating security environment following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliatory action.

A Chokepoint Under Pressure
The Strait of Hormuz — a narrow but indispensable corridor linking Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and Iran to international markets — has seen severely disrupted shipping traffic in recent weeks. The waterway is one of the most strategically consequential in the world, channeling approximately 25% of global oil trade, around 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, and close to 30% of worldwide fertilizer commerce.

For China, the stakes are particularly acute: roughly 45% of the country’s oil imports and 20% of its LNG supply transit the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The cascading effect of tanker disruptions has already contributed to global oil supply shortfalls, sending prices sharply higher on international markets.

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