Despite the established ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, ongoing geopolitical tensions continue to significantly impact maritime trade operations throughout South Asia. These tensions have prompted global container shipping carriers to implement strategic adjustments to their service networks to minimize operational risks. eeSea examines recent developments in shipping patterns, including strategic port omissions, introduction of ad-hoc feeder services, and route reconfigurations that illustrate how carriers are adapting to the complex geopolitical environment in the region.
Strategic port omissions and operational realignments
Major shipping lines have executed calculated adjustments to their port rotations to reduce vulnerability to potential disruptions. Ocean Network Express (ONE) has implemented several notable service modifications:
- On the ONE - WIN, the carriers have dropped Port Qasim from its rotation, with cargo now being transshipped via Colombo and Singapore to be shipped out by the Premiers EC3 service.
- ONE has added Karachi and Port Qasim on the ONE - TIG service, while key Indian ports, Nhava Sheva and Mundra have been removed, indicating a strategic shift toward Pakistani hubs amid regional uncertainty.
- Conversely, the ONE - TIP Service has eliminated both Karachi and Port Qasim while Mundra has been added to its rotation, prioritizing Indian cargo. This is a clear regional bifurcation which will likely remain in place as long as the geopolitical tension is still in play.
Similarly, CMA CGM has modified its EPIC service to exclude Karachi in favor of Colombo, although this adjustment has not yet been formally announced. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has likewise reduced its Pakistani operations, removing Karachi and Port Qasim from its Pearl - Shikra and INDUS services, respectively.
Certain schedule adjustments remain ambiguous. For instance, Hapag-Lloyd's HL - TPI service initially indicated the removal of Port Qasim, yet the port continues to appear in long-term schedules without official confirmation, Hapag-Lloyd has however indicated a number of omissions on Pakistani ports and inducements into regional transhipment hubs, Colombo and Salalah.
Ad-hoc feeder networks and strategic transshipment hubs
To compensate for port omissions, carriers are strategically utilizing transshipment hubs and deploying flexible feeder networks. Hapag-Lloyd has introduced its INDAMEX service as an extra-loader, establishing connections between Salalah (Oman) and Pakistani ports (Karachi and Port Qasim), employing a single vessel to maintain service continuity despite broader network reductions.
This contingency solution underscores the increasing dependence on intermediate hubs such as Colombo, Singapore, and Salalah to maintain efficient cargo movement. The IG1 service, operated jointly by Hapag-Lloyd and Global Feeder Shipping, has completely eliminated Pakistani ports from its schedule, leaving INDAMEX and Gemini’s HL - PKS to serve Pakistan.
Though most of these developments remain fluid, the maritime industry is already experiencing tangible disruptions to operations. eeSea analysts will continue to closely monitor how this geopolitical standoff between India and Pakistan affects regional shipping routes, port calls, and supply chain resilience in the coming weeks.