MSC launches Europe-Gulf route to bypass Strait of Hormuz

MSC, the world’s largest ocean cargo carrier, is launching a new Europe-Gulf shipping service that uses sea, rail and trucking routes to get around the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

The new line will run from Antwerp through the Suez Canal to Red Sea ports before moving goods overland across Saudi Arabia, Arabian Gulf Business Insight reports.

The shift comes as the U.S.-Iran blockade has disrupted supply chains and threatened a sea corridor that handles about 20% of global oil and gas flows.

MSC said the hybrid network, which will begin operating May 10, aims to maintain reliable transit times to major Gulf hubs, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Saudi Port of Dammam.