By Zhao Yu

"As soon as the war broke out in the Middle East, many shipping companies either raised prices or rolled over containers. But Jihang didn't increase prices by a single cent," said Dong Xiaoli, deputy general manager of Hubei Qugu International Agricultural Group.

On April 8, Dong, along with representatives from government and business circles in Yichang, Hubei Province, travelled to Ningbo to thank Jihang Shipping founder Zhu Chuanshu in person. The trip was prompted by what Dong described as a difficult shipping episode during the escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

At the time, Jihang Shipping had around 3,000 containers in transit, including shipments for Hubei Qugu International Agricultural Group bound for Yemen. The cargo included canned citrus, orange-flavoured preserves, dried tangerine peel products, and other fruit and vegetable goods—many of them staple food items locally, with some linked to humanitarian supply chains. The total value exceeded 10 million yuan.

Following the outbreak of conflict, freight surcharges spread rapidly across the industry, with reports of increases of $2,000 per TEU and $3,000 per FEU. The situation led to widespread disruptions, including container rollovers, voyage cancellations, unexpected transshipment, and instances of cargo being left behind.

Under contract terms, cargo already in transit is typically not subject to price adjustments. However, in a market dominated by a small number of global carriers controlling 90% of capacity, raising prices have become increasingly common, and adherence to original pricing agreements is often the exception rather than the rule.

"We are a low-margin agricultural company. If international carriers unilaterally raise prices, our already thin margins would be completely wiped out," Dong said.

While many operators moved to increase rates, Zhu said Jihang could have earned millions of dollars in additional revenue by following the same approach. Instead, the company issued a public statement via video reassuring clients. "In response to the situation in the Middle East, we will not impose any additional surcharges on cargo already in transit," the company said.

Zhu said the decision was made quickly amid a surge in customer inquiries.

In the end, Jihang kept prices unchanged and delivered the shipment to Yemen safely and on schedule, with the single voyage estimated to have saved Qugu around $100,000.

Responding to the gesture of thanks, Zhu said: "Our long-term clients have supported us for years. It is only right that we stand by them in critical moments."