Lane status
Trade lane status
This board shows whether each Nil Ocean Shipping trade lane is operating, restricted or suspended, with the date of the last status change and a link to any related advisory. Our operations team updates a status when conditions change, so check the note and the advisory before you book.
- Operating
- 4
- Restricted
- 4
- Suspended
- 3
- Last status change
- Last status change: 1 Nov 2026
Lane status by region
Middle East
- Status: RestrictedNote: Operating with restrictions. Umm Qasr lies inside the Strait of Hormuz, and since about 1 March 2026 most mainline container ships do not transit the Strait, so Iraq-bound cargo moves by transshipment, regional feeders or via Jebel Ali, with longer, less predictable transit and separate surcharges. Iraq's 2026 customs rules (ASYCUDA World, Decision 957/2025, e-verification since 10 July 2026) also apply. We confirm the routing in writing before you ship.Advisory: Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026: bonded trucking to Jebel Ali from Khor Fakkan and FujairahUpdated:
- Status: RestrictedNote: Operating with restrictions. Feeder and RoRo sailings from Jebel Ali to Umm Qasr stay inside the Gulf and do not transit the Strait of Hormuz, but the 2026 regional disruption has brought war-risk surcharges, schedule changes and booking limits on some carrier networks. Iraq's 2026 customs rules (ASYCUDA World, duty per item, e-verification since 10 July 2026) also apply, so we check documents and confirm the sailing in writing before departure.Advisory: Strait of Hormuz disruption 2026: cargo routed via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and SoharUpdated:
GCC
- Status: OperatingNote: Open. Road freight from the UAE to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain is operating through the official crossings. Since the Hormuz disruption began in March 2026, road volumes and border waits have been higher than usual, and some carriers have limited sea bookings to Gulf ports, so we confirm truck availability and a transit range for every load.Advisory: Strait of Hormuz disruption 2026: cargo routed via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and SoharUpdated:
- Status: RestrictedNote: Operating with restrictions. Since about 1 March 2026 most mainline container ships do not transit the Strait of Hormuz, so Dubai-bound cargo is usually discharged at Khor Fakkan, Fujairah or Sohar and moved to Jebel Ali by bonded truck under Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026. Expect longer, less predictable transit and separate surcharges; we confirm the discharge port in writing before you ship.Advisory: Dubai Customs Notice 03/2026: bonded trucking to Jebel Ali from Khor Fakkan and FujairahUpdated:
- Status: RestrictedNote: Operating with restrictions. Since about 1 March 2026 most mainline container ships do not transit the Strait of Hormuz, and some carriers have suspended bookings to Saudi Gulf ports such as Dammam. Jeddah on the Red Sea remains an option for Saudi-destined cargo, and sea to the UAE plus trucking through the Ghuwaifat–Batha crossing is an alternative. We confirm the port and routing in writing before you ship.Advisory: Strait of Hormuz disruption 2026: cargo routed via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and SoharUpdated:
Africa
- Status: OperatingNote: Open. Jebel Ali lies inside the Gulf, and most mainline container ships have avoided the Strait of Hormuz since about 1 March 2026, so Kenya cargo leaves on a feeder from Jebel Ali or is trucked to Khor Fakkan or Fujairah for loading. Cut-offs and surcharges vary; we confirm the loading port in writing before you ship.Advisory: Strait of Hormuz disruption 2026: cargo routed via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and SoharUpdated:
- Status: OperatingNote: Open. Jebel Ali lies inside the Gulf, and most mainline container ships have avoided the Strait of Hormuz since about 1 March 2026, so Tanzania cargo leaves on a feeder from Jebel Ali or is trucked to Khor Fakkan or Fujairah for loading, sometimes with transshipment. We confirm the loading port and routing in writing before you ship.Advisory: Strait of Hormuz disruption 2026: cargo routed via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and SoharUpdated:
- Status: OperatingNote: Open. Jebel Ali lies inside the Gulf, and most mainline container ships have avoided the Strait of Hormuz since about 1 March 2026, so Djibouti cargo leaves on a feeder from Jebel Ali or is trucked to Khor Fakkan or Fujairah for loading. The inland leg to Ethiopia is confirmed case by case; we confirm the loading port in writing before you ship.Advisory: Strait of Hormuz disruption 2026: cargo routed via Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and SoharUpdated:
Iran
- Status: SuspendedNote: Suspended. All Iran-related services are suspended following the UAE Government decision of 19 August 2026 to halt trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran. No requests are accepted for this lane.Advisory: UAE halts trade with Iran: Iran-related services suspendedUpdated:
- Status: SuspendedNote: Suspended. All Iran-related services are suspended following the UAE Government decision of 19 August 2026 to halt trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran. No requests are accepted for this lane.Advisory: UAE halts trade with Iran: Iran-related services suspendedUpdated:
- Status: SuspendedNote: Suspended. All Iran-related services are suspended following the UAE Government decision of 19 August 2026 to halt trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran. No requests are accepted for this lane.Advisory: UAE halts trade with Iran: Iran-related services suspendedUpdated:
What the statuses mean
A status describes whether we can take new requests on a lane today. It is not a forecast of transit times.
- Operating
- We accept new requests. Normal documentation applies, and transit ranges on the lane page are current.
- Restricted
- We accept requests with extra checks, limited capacity or longer transit times. Read the note and the advisory before you book.
- Suspended
- We are not accepting new requests on this lane. The note explains why, with official sources where they exist.
Statuses are set by our operations team and every change is dated. For the background to a change, see trade advisories