The world’s biggest container shipping line has been stopped from transporting goods in or out of Qatar as the Gulf crisis rumbles on.
Shipping giant Maersk said the move by Arab countries to impose restrictions was stopping trade in the region.
Trade in commodities from crude oil to metals and food are among the goods thought to be affected by the isolating move.
Shipping lines normally transship cargoes from the United Arab Emirates port of Jebel Ali to Qatar, which relies heavily on imports by sea and land.
A Maersk Line spokesman said: “We have confirmation that we will not be able to move Qatar cargo in and out of Jebel Ali.”
“We expect disruptions to our Qatar services. The situation is very fluid.”
The spokesman added that Maersk would notify customers about alternative options as soon as possible.
Larger container ships are unable to dock at ports in Qatar due in part to shallow waters so shipping lines use feeder services, which transport container boxes from the larger port of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain severed relations with Qatar and closed their airspace to commercial flights on Monday, in the worst split between powerful Arab states in decades.
The ban has meant that any ship sailing to and from Qatar will be prevented from calling at major ports in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which include Jebel Ali, as well as Bahrain.
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