Five headlines matter to Turkish exporters this week. On day 192 of the Hormuz closure, northern European ports were shaken by strikes and Asia-Europe freight rates kept easing. Under every headline you will find a practical takeaway in "What it means for you".
This Week at a Glance
| Headline | Status | Impact | Who is affected? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strait of Hormuz | Effectively closed, tension rising | 🔴 High | Sea exports to the Gulf |
| German and Dutch port strikes | Strikes over, backlog remains | 🟠 Medium | Imports/exports via Hamburg/Rotterdam |
| Asia-Europe freight rates | Falling, Mediterranean faster | 🟢 Positive | Importers of Far East raw materials |
| Gulf road corridor | Busy, long border queues | 🟠 Medium | Shippers on the Syria-Jordan lane |
| EU €3 customs duty | In force, H7 fix pending | 🟠 Medium | E-exporters to the EU |
1. Strait of Hormuz: Day 192 of the Closure
What happened? The strait has been effectively closed to commercial shipping since 28 February. Only 6 ships passed on 30 August; a normal day sees about 85. Iran announced it is preparing to declare a wider exclusion zone around the strait. Bunker prices, which spiked after the ceasefire collapsed in July, are back at June levels - still roughly 60 percent above pre-war.
What it means for you: do not count Hormuz into any Gulf sea plan. High fuel prices mean fuel surcharges (BAF) in quotes will stay elevated for a while. For the alternatives, see our Gulf export routes guide.
2. Northern European Port Strikes: Over, but the Queue Remains
What happened? In Germany, the ver.di union rejected the employers’ 5.1 percent offer and launched a 48-hour warning strike on the evening of 2 September, hitting Hamburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Emden and Brake - the second action after the 24-hour strike of 18 August. In the Netherlands, an 8-hour walkout hit Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Zeeland ports on 4 September, with towage joining in. On 9 September a nationwide public transport and rail strike followed.
What it means for you: even with the strikes over, terminals need time to clear backed-up vessels and boxes. According to Linerlytica, capacity waiting at anchor off the region’s three biggest ports exceeded 160,000 TEU just before the strike. If you import via Hamburg or Rotterdam, check your free time - delay turns into a demurrage invoice. Our demurrage guide is well timed this week. For urgent cargo to Germany, we compared road and Ro-Ro options in our Türkiye-Germany guide.
3. Freight Indexes: the Mediterranean Is Easing Fast
What happened? Freightos data puts Asia-North Europe at about $4,500 per FEU last week and Asia-Mediterranean at about $4,700. This week Mediterranean rates pulled nearly even with North Europe. The Mediterranean lane is down 37 percent from its seasonal peak, North Europe 23 percent. Freightos cites more Red Sea transits on some Mediterranean services as one possible driver. Drewry’s World Container Index sits at $4,526 per FEU.
What it means for you: if you bring raw materials from the Far East into Mersin, Ambarli or Izmir, spot rates are moving your way. They are still $1,000-1,700 above pre-season levels, so watching a few more weeks before signing a long-term contract may pay off.
4. Gulf Road Corridor: Demand Exceeds Capacity
What happened? With Hormuz closed, much of the Gulf-bound cargo shifted to the road. In August, 398 trucks transited from Cilvegozu toward the Saudi route in a single day. At the end of the month the queue at the gate passed 5 kilometres, with waits up to 24 hours - mainly because the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syrian side processes slowly.
What it means for you: make sure the piece count on the invoice matches the packing list exactly; a mismatch can send a truck that reached the front of the queue back to the end. For perishables, take the loading decision based on that day’s situation at the gate.
5. EU €3 Customs Duty: H7 Fix Still Pending
What happened? The EU’s €3 per-line duty on B2C parcels under €150 has been in force since 1 July. Türkiye’s electronic A.TR system has been open to express couriers since 3 July. But there is still no permanent fix on the EU side for parcels declared with H7.
What it means for you: ask your courier whether your parcels are declared with H1 or H7. Full details and the decision table are in our €3 customs duty guide.
Watch Next Week
- German port negotiations: whether ver.di and the employers hold a new round. No deal could mean a third strike.
- The Hormuz exclusion zone: if Iran’s wider zone goes ahead, war risk premiums could rise even for ships calling at Gulf of Oman ports.
- The Thrace gates: the diaspora return season runs to mid-September. On 4 September passenger cars waited about 2.5 hours to exit at Kapikule; congestion should ease as the season closes.
Bottom Line
This week in one sentence: the sea route to the Gulf is closed and the road is congested; northern European strikes are over but delays continue; and Far East freight keeps getting cheaper. The logistics risk brief is published every Monday.
If your route changes, your quotes should change too. Publish your load once on LogiFindex and compare quotes across routes and modes line by line. Free during early access, 0% commission. Follow us on LinkedIn for the weekly brief.
Sources
- Straits.live - Strait of Hormuz status (9 Sep 2026)
- Freightos - weekly freight update (8 Sep 2026)
- World Cargo News - strikes at German ports (Sep 2026)
- World Cargo News - Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Zeeland strike (4 Sep 2026)
- The Maritime Executive - northern Europe strikes and anchored capacity (Sep 2026)
- Navia Freight - September 2026 market update, Drewry WCI
- Hatay Haberi - Cilvegozu truck queue (22 Aug 2026)
- Vatandas Gazetesi - Thrace border waiting times (4 Sep 2026)
- Takvim - the electronic A.TR system (5 Aug 2026)