Shipping giant, Maersk ends direct US trade route to Africa’s largest economy

The decision, communicated to customers this week, according to News24, means South African exports will now be rerouted through European transshipment hubs, resulting in longer lead times and higher logistics costs for businesses already under pressure.

While Maersk has attributed the move to operational restructuring and global supply chain realignments, the timing has heightened concerns within South Africa’s export sector over worsening trade relations with Washington.

The shift comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and President Donald Trump’s administration, which recently threatened to review South Africa’s eligibility under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a crucial trade pact that grants duty-free access to US markets for thousands of African products.

The recent decision by global shipping giant Maersk to discontinue direct shipments between South Africa and the United States is set to deliver a substantial blow to South African exporters, both in terms of logistics timelines and operational costs.

As Africa’s largest economy grapples with mounting trade tensions with the Trump administration, the move will exacerbate existing pressures on businesses that rely on efficient transatlantic shipping routes to access the US market.

Speaking to IOL South Africa, Dr Ernst van Biljon, Head Lecturer at IMM Graduate School, said losing one of only two direct shipping links to the US forces South African exporters to rely on Europe’s congested ports, adding “time, cost, and uncertainty.”

“But this is more than just a shipping reshuffle,” Dr van Biljon added. “It exposes South Africa’s strategic vulnerability in global supply chains. Tariffs and transport constraints now combine to erode margins and undermine long-standing commercial relationships.”

Direct routes to the US, which previously took four to six weeks, will now be replaced with detours through Europe’s transshipment hubs, adding two to three weeks and stretching total transit times to six to eight weeks or more during port congestion.

The financial impact is equally severe. Rerouting through Europe increases fuel, handling, and operational costs, with freight rates expected to rise by 20 to 40 percent. Transshipment fees of $200–$250 per container, plus Maersk’s peak season surcharges of up to $1,000 for a 40-foot container, will further inflate expenses.

Exporters now face heightened uncertainty and shrinking margins as a less efficient, costlier supply chain threatens South Africa’s export competitiveness.

This shift clearly explains how quickly trade isolation can manifest, not just through policy shifts, but in the very shipping routes that sustain global commerce.