At Vegware, transparency is at the heart of how we work with our customers and partners. With significant disruption unfolding across key maritime routes in the Middle East, we wanted to share an update on what’s happening, what it means for our operations, and how we’re protecting your supply. 

The situation in brief 

Escalating events in Iran and across the wider Arabian Peninsula have effectively closed two of the world’s most important shipping corridors: 

• The Strait of Hormuz is no longer accessible to commercial container traffic 

• The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been suspended by most major carriers, with vessels now rerouting around the southern tip of Africa 

The knock-on effects are significant. Vessels rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope face longer voyages, and this is creating knock-on effects including port congestion, irregular schedules, equipment shortages, and rising freight costs. Airlines operating in the region are also experiencing capacity constraints and cancellations. 

Cost implications 

We want to be upfront: the industry is seeing additional charges emerge across multiple transport modes. These include war risk and emergency surcharges, bunker (fuel) adjustments related to longer voyages, and rising marine insurance premiums. Where at all possible, we will  absorb these costs rather than passing them on to our customers. 

Why Vegware is well placed 

Our business model gives us genuine resilience in situations like this. Here’s why: 

• A large and growing proportion of our products are manufactured in Europe, meaning they are unaffected by disruption to Asian shipping routes 

• We maintain a strong stock position, providing a buffer against delays 

• We have an established, diverse network of carriers and routing options 

We are actively managing schedules, diversifying our logistics, and working to give you maximum visibility on your orders. 

What we could expect 

We’ll be monitoring the situation closely. In the near term, customers may notice: 

• Longer ocean transit times on certain product lines 

• Short-notice schedule changes from carriers 

• Occasional out-of-stock situations — though we aim to keep these to an absolute minimum 

If any out-of-stock situations do arise, we will work with you to identify suitable alternatives. 

How to stay ahead 

There are a few simple steps you can take right now to minimise any disruption to your own operations: 

• Contact us to check stock on any time-sensitive or critical product lines before ordering 

• Place orders a little earlier than usual where you have flexibility 

• Stay open to alternative product options if needed 

We know how important reliable supply is to your business. Our team is working hard behind the scenes to protect your orders and keep disruption to an absolute minimum. 

If you have any questions, please get in touch with your account manager or contact us via our website. We will continue to post updates here as the situation develops. 

Questions about your order?