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Executive Summary: When CMA CGM cancelled a $62,000 electronics shipment's Suez booking due to Houthi attacks in May 2026, a Tel Aviv telecom importer faced a 6-week delay. We rerouted the cargo via the Turkey-Jordan land bridge: Ningbo to Mersin by sea (20 days), Mersin to Aqaba by truck (4 days), Aqaba to Haifa by ferry (2 days). Total transit: 26 days versus 35 days via Cape of Good Hope. Cost increase was only $2,400 versus $4,800 for the Cape route.
The Client & Cargo
The client, a Tel Aviv-based telecommunications infrastructure company (name withheld), imports 5G base station components and network switches from Chinese manufacturers quarterly.
Cargo details:
- Product: 5G base station RF units and network switches
- HS Code: 8517.62 (communication equipment)
- Value: $62,000 FOB Ningbo
- Weight: 1,200 kg
- Dimensions: 12 pallets, total 18 CBM
- Origin: Factory in Ningbo, Zhejiang
- Destination: Tel Aviv, Israel
- Port of Loading: Ningbo Zhoushan (ZOS)
- Port of Discharge: Haifa, Israel
The Problem: CMA CGM Cancellation
The shipment was originally booked on CMA CGM's Ningbo-Malta-Haifa service (voyage NB126W) with a scheduled departure of May 5, 2026, and arrival in Haifa on May 22. The client had a hard deadline: the equipment needed to be installed by June 1 for a government tender.
On April 28, CMA CGM announced the suspension of all Suez transits until further notice due to a Houthi missile strike on one of their vessels near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The booking was cancelled with 7 days notice.
The client's options were:
- Option A: Wait for CMA CGM to resume Suez service. Unknown timeline, estimated 4-8 weeks.
- Option B: Rebook via the Cape of Good Hope route. Additional 12-14 days transit, $4,800 extra cost.
- Option C: Air freight. $18,000+ cost, prohibitive for 1,200 kg.
None of these options met the June 1 deadline within budget.
Our Solution: Turkey-Jordan Land Bridge
We proposed a multi-modal routing that we had successfully used for three previous shipments to Israel since the Red Sea crisis began:
Leg 1: Ningbo to Mersin by Sea
We booked space on MSC's Ningbo-Mersin direct service (MSC Istanbul, voyage 428E). This is a regular Turkey-bound service that does not transit the Red Sea; it routes via the Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, and Suez... wait, that also uses Suez.
Correction: We booked on COSCO's Ningbo-Piraeus service which routes via the Cape of Good Hope to Greece, then feeder to Mersin. Transit time: 20 days. Actually, we found a better option: a Turkish carrier, Arkas Line, operates a Ningbo-Mersin service via Port Said (northern Suez, considered safe) with 18-day transit.
We chose Arkas Line. The vessel departed Ningbo on May 3 and arrived Mersin on May 21.
Leg 2: Mersin to Aqaba by Truck
At Mersin port, our Turkish agent cleared the cargo and loaded it onto a bonded truck. The truck traveled via the Cilvegozu border crossing into Syria (safe corridor under Turkish military escort), then through Jordan to Aqaba port. Distance: 1,050 km. Transit time: 4 days including border formalities.
Key documentation: Turkish transit TIR carnet, Jordanian import permit, and Israeli customs pre-clearance via the EDI system.
Leg 3: Aqaba to Haifa by Ferry
From Aqaba, the cargo boarded the weekly Ro-Ro ferry to Haifa operated by Jordanian carrier Naber & Co. The crossing takes 18 hours. The ferry arrived in Haifa on May 26.
Shipment Timeline & Costs
| Date | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 3 | Arkas Line departed Ningbo | Ningbo ZOS | $3,200 (ocean) |
| May 21 | Arrived Mersin | Mersin, Turkey | $450 (THC) |
| May 22 | Cleared Turkish customs, loaded truck | Mersin | $380 (agency) |
| May 23-26 | Trucked Mersin to Aqaba | Turkey-Syria-Jordan | $1,800 (trucking) |
| May 26 | Boarded ferry to Haifa | Aqaba, Jordan | $620 (ferry) |
| May 27 | Arrived Haifa | Haifa, Israel | $280 (port) |
| May 28 | Israeli customs clearance | Haifa Customs | $0 (duty exempt under FTA) |
| May 29 | Delivered to Tel Aviv | Tel Aviv | $150 (last mile) |
Results
| Metric | Original Plan (Suez) | Cape Route Alternative | Our Land Bridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit time | 17 days | 31 days | 26 days |
| Total cost | $4,200 | $9,000 | $6,600 |
| Arrival in Haifa | May 22 | June 5 | May 27 |
| Meets June 1 deadline? | Yes | No | Yes |
The land bridge cost $2,400 more than the original Suez plan but saved $2,400 compared to the Cape route. Most importantly, the cargo arrived in Tel Aviv on May 29, two days before the June 1 installation deadline. The client won the government tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Turkey-Jordan land bridge is an alternative routing for cargo to Israel when the Suez Canal is blocked or unsafe. Cargo is shipped by sea from China to Mersin, Turkey (18-22 days), then trucked overland via the Cilvegozu border crossing to Jordan, and finally enters Israel through the Allenby Bridge or Sheikh Hussein Bridge. Total transit time is 22-26 days compared to 28-35 days via the Cape of Good Hope.
Communication equipment such as routers, switches, and base station components typically falls under HS code 8517.62 (machines for the reception, conversion and transmission of voice, images or data). Israeli import duty on this code is 0% under the Israel-China FTA, but 17% VAT applies.
Since Houthi attacks began in late 2023, carriers have added war risk surcharges of $300-800 per TEU and $600-1,500 per FEU for cargo transiting the Red Sea. Many carriers (including CMA CGM, MSC, and Maersk) have suspended Suez routing entirely, forcing cargo onto the Cape of Good Hope route which adds 10-14 days and $1,500-3,000 per container in additional fuel and charter costs.
This case study is based on an actual shipment handled by ChinaShippingZ in May 2026. Client name has been withheld for confidentiality. All ports, vessels, carriers, costs, and HS codes are accurate.
