The UAE has imposed a new maritime restriction on hundreds of seagoing vessels, preventing them from entering the country's waters and ports. The move stands out mainly because of the size of the list, as previous bans issued by the UAE authorities generally covered individual ships or much smaller groups. Iranian-flagged vessels are particularly prominent among the latest entries, although the restriction is not limited to Iranian ships and also covers vessels sailing under a number of other flags.
According to the notification circulated by UAE-based RAK Ports, the affected vessels are barred from entering UAE waters, ports and the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. Shipping agents have been instructed to verify vessel names and IMO numbers before confirming nominations and to avoid dealing with any ships included on the list. The attached document contains 472 entries in total. However, the UAE authorities have not provided detailed reasons for the inclusion of each vessel, leaving the background to the latest restrictions unclear despite the unusually broad scope of the measure.
The decision does not amount to a restriction on steel imports, but it may still have some indirect implications for the steel trade if vessels normally considered for UAE-bound cargoes are included on the list. In such cases, alternative tonnages may need to be arranged, which could add some difficulty to vessel selection and shipment planning. For now, however, the measure is still too recent for any clear impact on steel cargoes, freight levels or delivery schedules to be seen in the market.
