Capitals, Aug. 9 (SANA) Disruptions across some of the world’s busiest maritime routes, from the Black Sea and Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, are driving up shipping and insurance costs, disrupting energy and commodity flows and putting additional pressure on consumers and the global economy.
Security and military tensions have forced vessels to delay voyages or take longer routes, increasing fuel and operating costs at a time when disruptions to grain and energy supplies are already putting pressure on international markets.
Black Sea disruptions hit grain, energy shipments
In the Black Sea, attacks by Russia and Ukraine have increased risks to commercial shipping and port operations, particularly around Ukrainian ports, leading to delays and higher freight and insurance costs.
According to the Ukrainian Agrarian Council (UAC), port capacity has fallen to about 4 million tons a month from around 6 million tons before the latest escalation.
At least 57 commercial vessels were reported hit during a single month, disrupting food shipments through deep-water routes that have historically handled about 90% of Ukraine’s agricultural exports.
Ukrainian attacks on Russian vessels and oil tankers in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov have further increased risks to shipping. According to Reuters and Lloyd’s List, global reinsurers said war-risk insurance premiums for the Black Sea had risen from around 1% to as much as 2% of a vessel’s value.
Red Sea disruption forces longer voyages
Shipping through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait has also been severely disrupted by Houthi attacks, prompting some shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal and reroute vessels around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
Vessel-tracking data reported by Lloyd’s List through August 2026 showed traffic through the Suez Canal down by between 60% and 64%, with weekly vessel transits falling from around 250 to fewer than 100.
Rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope adds days to voyages, increasing fuel consumption, operating expenses and insurance costs that can ultimately feed through to consumer prices.
Strait of Hormuz disruption puts energy supplies at risk
The Strait of Hormuz remains particularly sensitive because of its role as a major route for oil and gas exports from the Gulf to international markets.
Shipping through the strait has fallen sharply since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian war in late February, with average traffic dropping from between 130 and 140 vessels a day to as few as four to eight on some days.
The disruption has also sharply reduced crude oil flows through the strait, from a peak of 11.9 million barrels per day to around 1.7 million, affecting exports from energy-producing countries in the region.
The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, making prolonged disruption a major risk to international energy markets.
Higher costs filter through to consumers
The economic impact extends well beyond the shipping industry. Higher freight, insurance and fuel costs, combined with longer transit times, increase the cost of transporting commodities, raw materials and manufactured goods, potentially pushing up prices for businesses and consumers.
The World Bank has warned that prolonged disruption to energy supplies and higher prices could add to inflationary pressures and weaken economic growth. It has forecast global growth of 2.5% in 2026 and inflation of around 4%.
Disruptions across the Black Sea, Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz underscore the importance of maritime security to the global economy, as instability along major shipping routes increasingly affects trade flows, energy markets and consumer prices.
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