A report by MatchBox Exchange, a landside container optimisation platform, explored the impact of geopolitical disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz on the rerouting of container traffic across alternative regional ports and inland corridors.
Container availability mismatch
The platform claims that the shift of pressure from maritime routes to landside logistics, caused by the situation in the Gulf, created systemic imbalances across the supply chain.
Diversions towards ports, including Jeddah, Khor Fakkan, Fujairah, Sohar, Duqm, and Salalah, are occurring in irregular waves led to a mismatch in container availability.
Although equipment is present in the region, it is not positioned where required, increasing the need for cross-border repositioning.
The report adds that the shift has also intensified congestion at receiving ports, where longer dwell times and delays are reported.
Inland systems are facing rising demand for trucking and redistribution, resulting in extended waiting times for trucks at terminals, higher yard utilisation, and increased operational strain.
These developments are contributing to growing inefficiencies and cost pressures within inland transport networks.
Increased inefficiency in container handling
Changes in container-handling practices are further complicating operations, according to MatchBox Exchange.
Empty containers must be returned to designated regional hubs, such as Sohar, Salalah, and Jeddah, even when local reuse is possible.
This has increased empty movements, reduced equipment productivity, and extended turnaround cycles.
Furthermore, operational coordination is described as fragmented, with limited visibility and reliance on manual processes between shipping lines, depots, and transport providers.
This lack of system integration is delaying decision-making, creating inefficiencies in container allocation, and increasing overall operational complexity across multiple countries.
As a result, inland logistics has become the primary constraint in maintaining cargo flow continuity, exposing structural inefficiencies and increasing dependence on coordinated cross-border transport.
These inland constraints coincide with broader structural capacity limitations at global terminal level.
Global terminal capacity approaching saturation
Another analysis provided by the Journal of Commerce adds that global terminal capacity at major gateways is approaching saturation.
The mismatch here is between the limited new infrastructure and the rising trade demand.
"The strongest evidence of this disconnect lies in the shipyards. The current pipeline of newbuilding programs for ultra-large container vessels vastly outstrips the construction of new berths intended to receive them," writes the JOC.
Although terminal investments continue, new capacity development remains limited.
Analysts estimate the time required to develop new sites to typically be from three to five years, which means that without immediate action, future landside bottlenecks could intensify beyond current disruption levels.
