In the first episode of Straight Talk with Rolf Habben Jansen, maritime journalist Janet Porter speaks with Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, about one of the most pressing disruptions currently facing global shipping: the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its impact on vessels, crews, cargo flows, costs, and customers.
Rolf shares how Hapag-Lloyd is responding to the crisis, including the daily work of its crisis team, efforts to support seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf, and the complex task of rerouting thousands of containers through alternative land bridges. He also explains why this crisis differs from previous disruptions such as COVID-19, the Suez Canal situation, and Panama Canal restrictions — especially because fuel costs are rising globally while the direct cargo impact remains more regionally concentrated.
The conversation also looks ahead: What would it take for vessels to leave the Gulf? How long could it take for trade flows to normalize? When might shipping lines return to the Suez Canal? And what does this latest crisis mean for network resilience, customer relationships, and the future of seafaring?
• How Hapag-Lloyd is managing the Strait of Hormuz crisis
• The impact on container shipping, Gulf trade, and stranded cargo
• How crews on vessels in the Persian Gulf are being supported
• Why land bridges can only replace a limited share of ocean capacity
• The financial impact of higher bunker costs, insurance, storage, and lost revenue
• How customers are responding to surcharges and additional logistics costs
• Why the crisis is different from COVID-19 and the Suez disruption
• How Hapag-Lloyd’s Gemini hub-and-spoke network is proving resilient
• What a return to Suez could look like and why it may take until after peak season 2026
• The long-term implications for seafarers and global supply chains.
Rolf Habben Jansen
Chief Executive Officer of Hapag-Lloyd, one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. He shares insights into global trade, container shipping, crisis management, and the future of maritime logistics.
Maritime journalist with many years of experience covering the container shipping industry. She brings deep sector knowledge and asks the key questions behind the stories shaping global shipping.
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