The re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz and heavy concentration on bypass ports have driven Korea→Middle East ocean freight rates up by approximately 2.5–3.5× compared to February. This week's TY Weekly summarizes movements across all sea, air, and inland segments in a single briefing.
Hello, this is TY Logistics.
This week brought a virtual restructuring of freight rates and space across all Middle East routes following Iran's Strait of Hormuz blockade (April 13).
The data below has been compiled and re-organized by TY from KATI (Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation) official publications, Cello-Square, EIA/EU Weekly Oil Bulletin, Korea National Oil Corporation Opinet, and Hana Bank mid-market rates. Given the scale of real-time volatility, we strongly recommend re-confirming with your TY account manager before booking or deployment.
| Container Size | February (USD) | Current (USD) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20FT CONTAINER (DRY) | $1,000 ~ $1,600 | $3,500 ~ $4,500 | Excl. WRS / EBS and other surcharges |
| 40FT CONTAINER (DRY) | $1,500 ~ $2,500 | $5,500 ~ $6,500 | Excl. WRS / EBS and other surcharges |
※ Additional Middle East inland trucking costs may apply depending on the lane.
Multi-modal operations via Jeddah & Aqaba hubs. UAE-origin bookings accepted only through Sohar · Salalah · Jeddah landbridges. Both dry and reefer cargo handled.
Four main logistics routes: Mersin (Northern Iraq), Sohar (GCC), Jeddah (Gulf inland), Aqaba (Southern Iraq).
Carrier Haulage service based on five gateways: Jeddah · Salalah · Sohar · Khor Fakkan · Fujairah. Early booking strongly advised.
Iraq-bound: via Mersin / Iskenderun (Busan → Mersin ~72 days).
GCC-bound: via King Abdullah / Jeddah (Busan → Jebel Ali ~70 days).
Uses Fujairah as the sole import gateway → transits via Khalifa Port (Abu Dhabi) hub → onward to each destination.
· UAE: Abu Dhabi, Jebel Ali, Sharjah via truck / feeder
· Upper Gulf: Dammam, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait on proprietary feeder network / Riyadh via Dammam feeder then rail
· Iraq (Umm Qasr): Abu Dhabi feeder connection / Oman (Sohar): separate ocean route via Nhava Sheva, India
| Long-haul | Mid-haul | Short-haul |
|---|---|---|
| 2,190 | 2,060 | 1,960 |
· Ocean rate hikes and ocean space shortages have driven large volumes of ocean cargo into air export channels.
· Further fuel surcharge hikes are expected to accelerate air freight rate increases and space shortages.
· No officially confirmed additional airport closures or route reductions at this time.
· Congestion at Southeast Asian hub airports caused by Middle East hub closures has partially eased.
· Partial stabilization is expected to hold absent further developments.
※ Already closed: Iran (Tehran Imam Khomeini), Israel (Tel Aviv Ben Gurion).
| Pickup | Destination | Pre-war (USD) | Post-war (USD) | Increase | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEBEL ALI PORT | DUBAI | $150 | $300 | +$150 | +100% |
| DUBAI | JEBEL ALI PORT | $150 | $300 | +$150 | +100% |
| SOHAR PORT | DUBAI | $1,500 | $2,200 | +$700 | +47% |
| DUBAI | SOHAR PORT | $1,500 | $2,200 | +$700 | +47% |
| JEDDAH PORT | RIYADH | $1,100 | $1,500 | +$400 | +36% |
| RIYADH | JEDDAH PORT | $1,100 | $1,500 | +$400 | +36% |
※ Greater reliance on bypass ports has sharply increased Middle East inland trucking demand → rates up 36–100% vs. pre-war. Daily verification of rates and vehicle availability is required (frequent fluctuations).
| Region | Diesel (USD/gal) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| California | 7.559 | +58% |
| West Coast (ex-CA) | 6.183 | +61% |
| New England | 6.024 | +52% |
| Rocky Mountain | 5.256 | +51% |
| US Average | 5.608 | +57% |
· Diesel prices firm: after 13 consecutive weekly gains, a slight WoW decline ($5.643/gal → $5.608/gal).
· Logistics cost burden at a threshold level: inland trucking already up 15–20% MoM.
| Metric | EU Average | Germany | Netherlands | France | Poland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of 2026.4.6 | 2,115 | 2,434 | 2,585 | 2,234 | 1,803 |
| YoY | +36% | +53% | +55% | +37% | +27% |
| MoM | +30% | +34% | +37% | +33% | +26% |
· Vehicle availability remains adequate when adjusted rates are accepted.
· Elevated operational risk due to AdBlue (urea) shortages across Europe — production disrupted by rising natural gas prices, a key feedstock.
| Benchmark | Prev. Close (4/15) | Week-ago Close (4/8) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| WTI (West Texas Intermediate, USD/bbl) | 91.29 | 94.41 | 3.3 ↓ |
| Dubai Crude (USD/bbl) | 105.51 | 104.15 | 1.3 ↑ |
| Gasoline (KRW/L) | 1,998.25 | 1,978.68 | 1.0 ↑ |
| Diesel (KRW/L) | 1,992.18 | 1,970.42 | 1.1 ↑ |
| 4/8 (Wed) | 4/9 (Thu) | 4/10 (Fri) | 4/13 (Mon) | 4/14 (Tue) | 4/15 (Wed) | WoW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,481.00 | 1,476.00 | 1,489.20 | 1,480.50 | 1,473.50 | 1,476.50 | 0.3 ↓ |
The current situation is not a short-term spike but a structural New Normal. TY recommends: