Maritime Supply Cut at Strait of Hormuz, Land Routes Become Strategic Necessity

LHZ TIR Land Transport Special Line: Seven-Country Direct Network, Your Land Route Map Bypassing the Blockade Zone

March 2026 marks a dark month in global trade history.

The Strait of Hormuz, the vital artery for global energy and trade, is on the brink of complete blockade. According to the latest shipping data monitoring, as of March 6th, actual transit volume through the strait has dropped by over 90 percent compared to normal levels, with only isolated vessels passing through. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has explicitly announced that vessels belonging to the United States, Israel, European countries, and their supporters are prohibited from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, stating that if discovered, they will be struck.

At the same time, two global shipping giants, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, have successively announced the suspension of multiple major Middle East route services, involving Oman Gulf shuttle services and multiple routes connecting Asia with the Persian Gulf, and India with the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Mediterranean Shipping Company has also suspended cargo bookings in the Middle East region.

This is the most severe test for the global supply chain since the Suez Canal grounding incident. For Chinese foreign trade enterprises dependent on maritime imports and exports to the Middle East, this is not an ordinary delay, but a comprehensive supply cut crisis. Shipping companies suspending services, port congestion, freight rates skyrocketing, cargo stranded, and deliveries delayed indefinitely.

However, amidst the crisis, a land route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, running directly from China to the seven Gulf nations, is transforming from a backup plan into a strategic necessity. LHZ, relying on the mature TIR international road transport system and using Xinjiangs three major ports as consolidation hubs, provides you with a land route map bypassing the maritime blockade zone.

Maritime Crisis Escalates: Why Has the Strait of Hormuz Become the Choke Point?

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. At its narrowest point, it is only 39 kilometers wide, yet it is the only maritime passage for approximately one-fifth of global seaborne oil trade. More importantly, it is the sole maritime channel to almost all major ports in the Gulf countries, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan.

The severity of the current situation is reflected in the following data.

Transit volume has plummeted. In the past 24 hours, only two confirmed commercial transits have been recorded, with numerous supertankers fully laden with crude oil stranded on both sides of the strait.

War risk has fully erupted. A commercial oil tanker named Prima, ignoring warnings and forcibly entering the strait, has been struck by a drone. Multiple British and American oil tankers have been attacked in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, with one tanker struck and beginning to sink.

Port operations have come to a standstill. Jebel Ali Port, the largest artificial port and busiest container port in the Middle East, has suspended operations. Saudi Arabias largest oil refinery has been closed due to a drone attack.

Freight rates have hit record highs. Daily charter rates for VLCC tankers have soared to nearly 700,000 US dollars, and the Baltic TD3C index has hit an all-time high. War risk insurance premiums have skyrocketed to astronomical figures, and shipping companies generally refuse bookings.

This means that any cargo attempting to enter Gulf countries by sea faces the following triple dilemma.

First, unable to book. Shipping companies have suspended services. Even if willing to pay a premium, there are no ships available to book.

Second, unable to insure. In war risk zones, insurance companies refuse coverage or the premiums exceed the value of the cargo.

Third, unable to deliver. Even if cargo arrives at transshipment ports, it cannot be transferred to destination ports. Containers stranded at places like Jebel Ali Port in the UAE are piling up.

Against this backdrop, LHZs TIR land transport special line has become the only strategic corridor capable of ensuring supply chain stability between China and the seven Gulf nations.

LHZ TIR Land Transport Network: Route Map Covering Seven Gulf Nations

Headquartered in the Guangzhou Nansha Free Trade Zone, a strategic hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, LHZ relies on the mature TIR international road transport system and has successfully constructed a Middle East land logistics network with Turkey at its core, traversing the Eurasian continent. We currently operate regular scheduled services with five weekly round trips between China and the Middle East, departing from Xinjiangs Alashankou, Khorgos, and Kashgar ports. The network comprehensively covers the seven Gulf nations and surrounding areas.

The following are our core route maps and details for each country special line.

UAE Special Line: 48-Hour Express Delivery to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Route: China Xinjiang ports Alashankou, Khorgos, Kashgar to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea ferry, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

This Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor route completely bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, with a total transit time of approximately 15 to 25 days. We have bonded warehouses and regional distribution centers in Dubai. Relying on a perfected last-mile delivery network, we can achieve delivery to major UAE cities within 48 hours. We specialize in e-commerce logistics, providing customized head-haul transport, overseas warehousing, and last-mile delivery solutions for major e-commerce platforms in the Middle East.

Qatar Special Line: Direct Delivery to Doha Overseas Warehouse

Route: China Xinjiang ports to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar.

The Qatar special line follows the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor. We have overseas warehouse clusters in Doha, providing value-added services such as warehousing and distribution. We are proficient in the unified customs clearance standards of GCC countries, ensuring fast customs clearance for goods.

Kuwait Special Line: Coverage from Kuwait City Overseas Warehouse

Route: China Xinjiang ports to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait.

The Kuwait special line shares the initial route with the Qatar line. We have overseas warehouses in Kuwait City, supporting fast delivery throughout Kuwait. We are familiar with local customs regulations and can provide professional customs clearance services.

Saudi Arabia Special Line: Full Coverage of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam

Route: China Xinjiang ports to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam.

The Saudi special line is fully committed to serving the new city construction and industrialization process under Saudi Vision 2030. We specialize in project logistics, providing professional equipment and building materials logistics services for mega projects like the NEOM city, and are adept at oversized and heavy-lift transportation. With Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam as core nodes, we have built a delivery network covering all of Saudi Arabia, while possessing in-depth knowledge of Saudi product standards and clearance requirements such as SASO certification.

Jordan Special Line: Gateway Connecting Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Route: China Xinjiang ports to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan.

Jordan serves as an important gateway connecting Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Our Jordan special line can extend to border crossings with Iraq and Syria, providing a stable land channel for entering the Iraqi market.

Iraq Special Line: Strategic Corridor for Post-War Reconstruction

Route: China Xinjiang ports to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Iraq.

The Iraq special line focuses on Iraqs post-war reconstruction and growing commercial market. Relying on mature and stable northern and eastern land corridors, we have developed stringent security transport plans and possess extensive experience in sectors like power infrastructure and building materials. Through close collaboration with local partners, we provide end-to-end services covering border clearance to last-mile delivery.

Iran Special Line: Direct to Tehran, Bypassing Hormuz

Route 1 Trans-Caspian: China Xinjiang ports to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea ferry, Azerbaijan, Iran.

Route 2 Trans-Turkey: China Xinjiang ports to Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Iran.

Facing the complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iran special line has become the only stable channel for entering the Iranian market. We have established stable routes directly to major cities including Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan, specializing in the transport of bulk commodities such as oil equipment, chemical products, and building materials. Our core advantages lie in compliance and safety. We are deeply familiar with Iranian customs procedures, provide professional customs clearance services, and equip vehicles with real-time GPS tracking and security protocols. We have our own warehouses in Tehran, offering value-added services including warehousing and distribution.

TIR Core Advantages: Why Land Transport Is More Reliable Than Sea Freight

As a deep user of the TIR international road transport system, LHZs core advantage lies in the customs facilitation mechanism under the TIR Convention framework.

Single Declaration, Single Document Throughout: From the consignors warehouse to the destination warehouse, throughout the entire process from loading and sealing to unsealing and unloading, transit customs authorities do not inspect or open containers. Compared to transport modes like air or rail, it offers advantages in flexibility and ease of loading and unloading, significantly saving customs clearance time and transport costs.

No Vehicle Change, No Transshipment Throughout: TIR vehicles travel directly from the Chinese factory to the Middle Eastern clients door, achieving door-to-door transport, avoiding cargo damage risks and transshipment delays caused by multiple handling. Approved vehicles holding TIR carnets can enjoy convenient customs clearance among all TIR contracting countries, with transport timeliness improved by approximately 75 percent compared to rail, shortened by over 20 days compared to sea freight, and transport costs only 25 percent of air freight.

Clearance Upon Arrival: Customs at Xinjiangs Alashankou, Khorgos, and Kashgar ports have established dedicated TIR service positions to quickly process TIR customs procedures, achieving clearance upon arrival for inbound and outbound vehicles, providing one-stop door-to-door services for cross-border trade.

Timeliness Guarantee: Using TIR transport, the China to Gulf countries transit time can be compressed to 15 to 25 days, shortening by over 30 days compared to maritime solutions routing via the Cape of Good Hope, providing stable and reliable timeliness guarantees for emergency replenishment, high-value goods, and e-commerce parcels destined for the Middle Eastern market.

Xinjiangs Three Major Ports: Chinas Land Gateways Opening to the West

As key nodes for entering Central Asia and the Middle East, Xinjiangs three major ports are the strategic pivots of our network.

Alashankou Port Advantage: As a main corridor for China-Europe railway express trains, it has well-developed infrastructure and high customs clearance efficiency, suitable for consolidating and dispatching large volumes of cargo. We have self-operated warehousing centers here, capable of providing consolidation and temporary storage services for various goods.

Khorgos Port Advantage: Adjacent to Kazakhstan, it is a core port for China-Central Asia trade, with multiple weekly departures and stable, reliable capacity. Our self-operated customs brokerage team provides 24/7 clearance services, ensuring goods depart immediately upon arrival.

Kashgar Port Advantage: Relatively closer to the Middle Eastern market, with mature routes via the Trans-Caspian corridor to Gulf countries, suitable for consolidating cargo destined for the Middle East. We have modern warehouses in the Kashgar Comprehensive Bonded Zone, providing preferential policy services such as bonded warehousing and tax rebates upon entry.

Our self-operated warehousing at the three major ports totals over 100,000 square meters, equipped with intelligent management systems capable of completing the entire process of cargo consolidation, sorting, and container loading within 24 hours, ensuring efficient cargo turnover. We have a professional customs team with fifteen years of experience, proficient in Chinese and Gulf Cooperation Council customs regulations, with industry-leading customs declaration accuracy, providing dual clearance door-to-door service.

Choosing LHZ Means Choosing Certainty

While your competitors are helpless facing the Strait of Hormuz blockade, struggling with suspended shipping services, and worrying about stranded cargo, choosing LHZ gives you the following advantages.

A mature network directly serving seven countries. UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran. No matter which Gulf country your cargo is destined for, we have a mature TIR special line directly serving it.

A strategic corridor bypassing conflict zones. All routes completely bypass the Strait of Hormuz, reaching destinations via the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor or Trans-Central Asia routes, free from maritime blockade impact.

An integrated supply chain from Chinese factory directly to clients hands. No vehicle changes, no transshipment throughout, door-to-door direct delivery, eliminating transfer risks.

A professional team deeply rooted in the Middle East for fifteen years. We are proficient in each countrys customs regulations, have mature contingency plans for dealing with emergencies, ensuring safe cargo arrival.

The Strait of Hormuz blockade will not be lifted immediately, and the crises in the Red Sea continue. But your cargo no longer needs to wait stagnating at ports. LHZ, with two-way direct TIR as its core, Xinjiang consolidation hubs as its pivot, and fifteen years of deep cultivation as its guarantee, keeps your supply chain stable amidst the maritime blockade and seizes opportunities in crisis.

Contact us now for your exclusive Middle East land transport solution, and put your cargo on this strategic corridor that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.