Gemini Alliance Shippers Demand Red Sea Safety Assurances as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Plan Return

## Gemini Shippers Seek Answers Over Red Sea Re-entry Plans Shippers operating under the Gemini Cooperation alliance are demanding reassurances over the safety of vessels following the announcement that Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd intend to resume Red Sea transits — a move that has left cargo interests stunned and seeking answers. According to Seatrade Maritime, a shippers' representative described the industry as 'shocked' by the development, with concerns centring on what appears to have been a lack of substantive engagement with Houthi forces prior to the carriers' announcement. The representative indicated there is little evidence that meaningful discussions took place to secure safe passage guarantees before the decision was communicated to the market. The Red Sea corridor has remained largely off-limits to major container carriers since late 2023, when Houthi militants began targeting commercial vessels in the waterway in connection with the conflict in Gaza. The disruption forced the bulk of global container traffic onto the longer Cape of Good Hope routing, adding significant time and cost to supply chains worldwide. The Gemini Cooperation — the operational alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launched in February 2025 — has been among the alliances most visibly committed to the Cape routing as a matter of crew and vessel safety. Any reversal of that position carries considerable weight for shippers who have restructured logistics planning around extended transit times. For cargo owners, the core concern is straightforward: without credible safety assurances backed by verifiable dialogue with the parties controlling the threat environment, a return to Red Sea routing exposes vessels, crews, and cargo to unacceptable risk. The shippers' representative's comments suggest the industry was not consulted or forewarned in a manner that allowed for proper risk assessment. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have not yet provided detailed public statements outlining the security framework underpinning their planned return. Industry observers will be watching closely for whether the carriers can present evidence of diplomatic or security arrangements sufficient to satisfy both shippers and insurers — the latter of whom have maintained elevated war risk premiums for Red Sea transits throughout the disruption period. The situation underscores the broader tension between carriers' commercial imperative to restore competitive transit times and the duty of care owed to crews and cargo interests. Until credible safety protocols are publicly established, shippers are likely to remain cautious about endorsing or relying upon Red Sea routings, regardless of carrier intentions.