Hapag-Lloyd

Industry News

High Freight Rates Drive New India-Middle East Container Services to UAE Ports

Historically high freight yields are spurring container lines to launch dedicated services between India and Middle East ports, with UAE gateways such as Khor Fakkan seeing increased traffic. Danish carrier Maersk has deployed a new shuttle between India's Nhava Sheva and Khor Fakkan, while Chinese line CULines is planning an Asia-Middle East service. Ongoing overland cross-border transport bottlenecks and port congestion continue to elevate regional spot rates and trigger fresh carrier surcharges.

Policy & Legal Updates

UAE Fully Enforces Maritime Pre-Load Cargo Information Shipping Regulation

The UAE's Maritime Pre-load Cargo Information (MPCI) program has entered full enforcement following the end of its compliance grace period on September 30, 2026. Managed by the National Advance Information Centre under the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, the framework mandates advance digital filing for all containerized cargo bound for or transiting UAE ports. Failure to file verified cargo data at least 24 hours prior to vessel loading will result in strict 'Do Not Load' instructions and regulatory penalties.