Freight rates in the Gulf have more than tripled in recent weeks as major shipping companies pull vessels away from the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks on ships near Yemen have forced carriers like Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to reroute cargo around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope instead, adding weeks to transit times and burning more fuel. Now, most of the cargo that would have arrived by ship is being loaded onto trucks, but there’s a problem: a single truck can’t carry what a container ship can. That’s pushing costs up fast for businesses waiting for goods to move in or out of the Gulf.

The spike hit fast. Container rates from Asia to the Gulf jumped from around $2,000 per box to over $7,000 in December, according to data from Drewry Shipping Consultants. Trucking companies are charging premium rates as demand outstrips supply, and some are turning down loads because they simply can’t handle the volume. A Dubai-based logistics manager told the Financial Times his company now pays $6,000 to move a 40-foot container from Jebel Ali port to Riyadh—up from $1,800 a month ago. Smaller businesses are getting squeezed hardest. One Dubai importer said he’s paying triple for shipments of electronics and furniture, and some orders are sitting at ports because the trucks to move them aren’t available.

Why the Red Sea matters for global trade

The Red Sea route is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, handling about 12% of global seaborne trade. When it’s open, ships from Asia to Europe cut through the Suez Canal in a week. Now, rerouting around Africa adds 10 to 14 days and piles on fuel costs, which carriers pass to customers. The Houthis say they’re targeting ships linked to Israel, but their attacks have disrupted traffic for everyone. The U.S. Navy has set up a task force to protect vessels, but the attacks keep coming. Meanwhile, insurers are raising rates for ships taking the Red Sea route, making the gamble even riskier for carriers.

Trucking isn’t filling the gap. Gulf countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia rely on ports like Jebel Ali and Dammam for imports of everything from cars to construction materials. But a truck can carry one 40-foot container, while a ship can carry 20,000. That math doesn’t work in a crisis. Ports are now clogged with cargo waiting for rides that aren’t coming. In Dubai, containers are stacking up because trucking fleets are maxed out. Some companies are shifting to air freight for high-value goods, but that’s expensive too—sometimes three times the cost of sea shipping.

Businesses are scrambling to adjust. A Qatar-based food distributor said his company is paying 40% more for imports of frozen meat and dairy products. He’s also rerouting some orders to Turkey and India to avoid the bottlenecks. Retailers in the Gulf are warning of delays for goods like electronics and furniture, which could mean empty shelves during the peak shopping season. Factories in Saudi Arabia that depend on Asian raw materials are slowing production, and some are considering stockpiling supplies to avoid future shocks. The ripple effects are spreading beyond the Gulf, too. Prices for European goods bound for Asia are climbing as shipping lines take longer routes, and delays are pushing back orders for everything from car parts to clothing.

Oil markets are watching closely. The rerouted ships are burning more fuel, which could tighten global oil supplies slightly. Brent crude prices have ticked up about 5% since the attacks started, though analysts say the impact on prices is still small. The bigger worry is whether the Houthi attacks will keep disrupting trade for months. The Bab el-Mandeb strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea, is a chokepoint for world trade. If the attacks continue, more carriers may avoid the route entirely, and the Gulf’s trucking industry won’t be able to handle the load. That leaves businesses with two bad options: pay up or wait it out.

The question now is how long this will last. The U.S. and its allies are pressing for a diplomatic solution, but the Houthis show no signs of backing down. Shipping companies are reviewing their contracts to pass costs to customers, and some are warning clients to expect delays for months. For now, the Gulf’s freight chaos is a reminder of how fragile global supply chains are—and how quickly a few attacks in a narrow waterway can ripple across the world.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: Financial Times
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 04:00 UTC
  • Category: Business
  • Topics: #finance · #economy · #gulf · #businesses · #gulf-freight-rates-surge

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

Frete no Brasil pode sofrer impacto com crise no Golfo, elevando custos e atrasando entregas

O encarecimento abrupto do transporte de carga no Golfo Pérsico, com taxas de frete explodindo quase 300% em semanas, acende um alerta no Brasil sobre possíveis reflexos na economia nacional. O motivo? Os ataques dos houthis no Mar Vermelho, que forçaram as empresas de navegação a desviar rotas tradicionais, optando por caminhões para escoar mercadorias — uma solução cara e lenta que ameaça desestabilizar cadeias globais de suprimentos.

No Brasil, importadores e exportadores já sentem os primeiros sinais de pressão: produtos vindos da Ásia, como eletrônicos e componentes industriais, podem enfrentar atrasos e preços mais altos, enquanto exportações de commodities, como soja e minério, também ficam vulneráveis. A crise chega em um momento delicado para a economia brasileira, ainda se recuperando de choques anteriores, e reacende debates sobre a dependência do país de rotas marítimas vulneráveis, como o Canal de Suez.

Nos próximos dias, o cenário deve se agravar se não houver uma solução diplomática rápida, forçando empresas a repensar estoques e estratégias logísticas — um risco que pode se transformar em inflação ou escassez em prateleiras.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

El aumento de los fletes en el Golfo se dispara casi un 300% en pocas semanas, obligando a las navieras a desviar el transporte de mercancías hacia camiones debido a los ataques hutíes en el Mar Rojo. Esta escalada de costes amenaza con encarecer aún más productos esenciales para los consumidores hispanohablantes.

El contexto radica en la inestabilidad geopolítica en una de las rutas comerciales más transitadas del mundo, lo que ha obligado a las empresas a buscar alternativas más caras y lentas. Para los mercados hispanos, esto podría traducirse en subidas de precios en bienes importados, desde alimentos hasta tecnología, agravando la inflación y afectando el poder adquisitivo de los hogares. La dependencia de rutas alternativas, como el Cabo de Buena Esperanza, prolonga los plazos y eleva los costes logísticos, con consecuencias directas en el comercio global y la economía doméstica.