<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Iraq has resumed operations of its national commercial shipping line after more than 50 years, seeking to reduce dependence on foreign carriers as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz drive freight and insurance costs to levels that Baghdad considers unsustainable for an import-dependent economy </span><span class="">. The General Company for Maritime Transport, operating under Iraq's Ministry of Transport, announced on Monday that the vessel Basra had arrived at Umm Qasr port carrying containers from Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates </span><span class="">. The voyage marked the first step toward reviving the Iraqi Line, the country's national commercial shipping service, which had been inactive since the mid-1960s </span><span class="">.</span><span class="_5f9bba8" data-citation-group="1" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/iraq-revives-shipping-line-after-50-years-hormuz-crisis-bites" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="5" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://splash247.com/iraqi-line-returns-to-gulf-container-trade-after-50-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="12" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a></span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Ahmed Jassim, director-general of the company, said the resumption would provide traders and importers with additional shipping options while strengthening commercial links between Iraqi and Emirati ports </span><span class="">. He added that the initiative formed part of wider efforts to develop Iraq's national maritime carrier and expand its role in regional and international trade. The transport ministry had announced on October 5 that the shipping line was preparing to resume commercial operations, noting that its last voyages dated back to the mid-1960s </span><span class="">. According to Alphaliner, the Iraqi Maritime Line is deploying the 902 TEU Basrah on an eight-day shuttle linking Jebel Ali with Umm Qasr, with the first sailing departing Jebel Ali and arriving in Umm Qasr two days later </span><span class="">.</span><span class="_5f9bba8" data-citation-group="5" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/iraq-revives-shipping-line-after-50-years-hormuz-crisis-bites" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="5" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://splash247.com/iraqi-line-returns-to-gulf-container-trade-after-50-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="12" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a></span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The relaunch comes against a backdrop of severe disruption to Iraqi maritime supply chains. Since the Hormuz shipping crisis erupted at the end of February, growing volumes have been diverted to Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba before travelling overland into Iraq through the Trebil border crossing </span><span class="">. According to the Jordan Shipping Association, Aqaba handled 37,182 Iraq-bound transit containers during the first seven months of 2026, compared with just 3,599 during the corresponding period last year—a 933% increase </span><span class="">. Maersk has introduced landbridge services connecting Aqaba with Iraq, while CMA CGM has offered alternative routings through Aqaba for southern Iraq and Turkey's Mersin for northern destinations </span><span class="">. The new Iraqi service therefore complements rather than replaces the overland alternatives that have become vital to keeping Iraqi imports moving </span><span class="">.</span><span class="_5f9bba8" data-citation-group="8" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><a href="https://splash247.com/iraqi-line-returns-to-gulf-container-trade-after-50-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="12" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a></span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The cost pressure driving the revival is substantial. Jassim al-Moussawi, a member of Iraq's parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee, said developing the national fleet had become increasingly important as regional tensions drove up transport costs </span><span class="">. He estimated that transport costs had risen sharply because of regional disruptions, reaching almost half the value of exported oil, according to his calculations </span><span class="">. Expanding Iraq's maritime transport capacity could save the state treasury millions of dollars by reducing freight and insurance expenses and improving the country's ability to respond to disruptions in international shipping, he argued </span><span class="">. Iraqi trader Halim Hamid welcomed the reopening of the Jebel Ali–Umm Qasr route, describing it as an opportunity to provide importers with more shipping options following the rise in freight and insurance costs and delays caused by the Hormuz disruptions </span><span class="">.</span><span class="_5f9bba8" data-citation-group="12" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/iraq-revives-shipping-line-after-50-years-hormuz-crisis-bites" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="5" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a></span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The scale of the challenge facing the revived line is significant. Iraq's national fleet currently consists of just six vessels, raising questions about whether the service can compete with established international shipping operators </span><span class="">. Hamid cautioned that the success of the line depends on providing integrated services covering booking, transport, unloading and delivery according to clear schedules, and stressed that traders make shipping decisions based on overall costs and reliability rather than the nationality of the carrier </span><span class="">. While expanding the service could gradually reduce import costs, he said it would not necessarily lead to an immediate fall in consumer prices without sufficient shipping capacity and competitive logistics services </span><span class="">.</span><span class="_5f9bba8" data-citation-group="16" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/iraq-revives-shipping-line-after-50-years-hormuz-crisis-bites" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="5" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a></span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The economic context is one of expanding trade volumes but weak national carrier performance. Citing Ministry of Planning figures, economic expert Karim al-Hilu said Iraq imported approximately 23.46 million tonnes of goods through its ports in 2025, an increase of 10.5% from the previous year </span><span class="">. Despite the growth in cargo volumes, revenues at the General Company for Maritime Transport fell by 10.9% to 213 billion Iraqi dinars ($163 million), highlighting a gap between expanding trade activity and the earnings of the national carrier </span><span class="">. Iraq's merchandise imports totalled approximately $72.3 billion in 2025, including $49.3 billion transported through seaports </span><span class="">. The transport ministry has said Iraq's ports have a combined annual handling capacity exceeding 79 million tonnes and a container capacity of more than 3.6 million containers, with measures underway to ease congestion and improve roads and storage facilities </span><span class="">.</span><span class="_5f9bba8" data-citation-group="19" style="margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 2px;"><a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/iraq-revives-shipping-line-after-50-years-hormuz-crisis-bites" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="5" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a></span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">For Indian logistics and trade observers, Iraq's shipping revival carries indirect relevance. India is a significant exporter to Iraq, particularly of basmati rice, and Indian exporters have already been adapting to elevated freight costs on Gulf routes through measures including bulk vessel charters </span><span class="">. The Hormuz disruption that prompted Iraq's move is the same disruption reshaping India's own trade logistics, from crude oil procurement to container shipping costs. Whether Iraq's national line can provide a reliable, cost-competitive alternative for cargo moving between Jebel Ali and Umm Qasr will determine whether it offers Indian exporters and their Iraqi buyers a meaningful additional routing option—or remains a symbolic gesture constrained by a six-vessel fleet navigating one of the world's most dangerous waterways.</span></p>
Iraq Revives National Shipping Line After 50 Years as Hormuz Crisis Drives Freight and Insurance Costs Higher
Iraq has resumed operations of its national commercial shipping line after more than five decades, with the vessel Basra arriving at Umm Qasr port carrying containers from Jebel Ali in the UAE. The General Company for Maritime Transport described the move as an effort to reduce reliance on foreign carriers as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz push freight and insurance costs sharply higher. A member of Iraq's parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee estimated transport costs have reached almost half the value of exported oil. Iraq's national fleet currently consists of just six vessels, raising questions about whether the revived service can compete with established international operators. The relaunch comes as Iraqi container supply chains have been radically reshaped, with growing volumes diverted to Jordan's Aqaba port and overland routes.
