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Maersk will temporarily halt its FM1 Service, which connects the Far East to the Middle East, and its ME11 Service, which links the Middle East to Europe, according to a notice to customers on March 6.

Some carriers are canceling bookings temporarily, skipping some port calls, warning of delays and implementing surcharges to transport containers through the conflict zone. 

Currently, Maersk operates 65 ground freight facilities in the U.S. The next terminals to open will be smaller than the Fontana site, the spokeswoman said.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino ordered the temporary occupation of two ports run by a unit of CK Hutchison Holdings after a Panama court ruled against the firm’s concession.

Sinokor’s aggressive buying has spooked the market, traders say, in turn dramatically driving up the cost of freight as nervous charterers rush to book space in case prices rise further in the future due to the concentrated ownership.

The warning came after Panama authorities invalidated CK Hutchison’s contract to operate the Balboa and Cristobal ports, seeking Maersk’s APM Terminals to run them in a transition phase.  

Maersk plans to cut 1,000 jobs and focus on cost discipline this year as the container giant seeks to insulate its earnings against deteriorating freight rates with Red Sea routes reopening. 

The Hong Kong-based conglomerate said in a separate stock exchange filing that it will “vigorously pursue” the case under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Supply continues to expand at a record pace, with a projected 36% surge in new vessel capacity from 2023 to 2027. On the flip side, demand for container shipping is expected to contract 1.1% in 2026.

The voyage marks another step toward normalization of global supply lines, after Yemen-based Houthis in 2023 began attacking vessels, forcing shipowners to sail south of Africa.