Strait of Hormuz Disruption Signals: Cancellations Outpacing Bookings Across Key Trade Lanes

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – March 5, 2026 – A Dun & Bradstreet analysis* shows that dependence on goods transiting the Strait of Hormuz is highly concentrated in Asia’s manufacturing core. The largest direct buyers of Gulf oil output are China and Japan, followed by India, Thailand, and Korea, and Southeast regions (Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia). The transmission is driven by upstream sectors that pass costs through the economy: utilities and power, chemicals, transport and pipelines, construction, and basic materials such as steel and non-metallic minerals.

Beyond hydrocarbons, the Gulf also matters as a commerce and capital hub. Large non-energy flows are tied to wholesale/retail trade, construction and real estate, chemicals, financial services, and public-sector activity, creating additional channels for inventory disruption, capex delays, and funding stress.

 *Source: Dun & Bradstreet’s shipping insights and OECD Inter-Country Input-Output (ICIO) tables

• D&B maritime container booking data shows Import Cancellations for ships transiting the Straight of Hormuz Exceeded Any Single-Day Total Since 2024:
  • March 1: 3,072 twenty-foot equivalent unit containers [TEUs]  were cancelled vs. 811 TEUs booked
  • March 2: 11,865 TEUs were cancelled vs. 7,653 TEUs booked
    • March 2 bookings were the lowest of Monday bookings in 2026 YTD, and lowest weekday total behind January 1
    • Cancellations of 11,865 TEUs exceeded any single-day total recorded since early 2024.
  • March 3: 21,762 TEUs cancelled vs. 1,915 TEUs booked. 
    • March 3 bookings the lowest of any weekday since 2024. 
    • Cancellation of 21,762 TEUs was more than double of any single-day total recorded since early 2024.
    • Booked TEU volume of 1,915 is merely 13% of booked volume 1 week ago.
  • For the period of March 1 to March 3, initiated import booking volumes decreased 59% versus a week ago,  while cancellations rose 364%. 
• Export booking volumes began declining in mid-February, falling more than 40% from a 7-day rolling total of 34,790 TEUs booked in the seven days ending February 15 to 19,863 TEUs in the seven days ending March 3. This trend likely reflects increasing caution among Gulf exporters as regional tensions escalated.
  • On March 3, 1,095 TEUs were booked outbound from the strait, while 1,319 TEUs were cancelled, the first time we saw more cancellations than bookings on a given day for Gulf exports.
  • Between March 1 to March 3, initiated export booking volumes decreased 40% versus a week ago, while cancellations rose 56%.

*Context: Shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz are defined as those where one end (Departure or Destination Port) is in Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, or the Saudi Gulf ports of Ad Dammam or Jubail, and the other end is outside this group.  

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Dun & Bradstreet Media Contact:
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