"USD 40,000 Contract at Risk Due to Transport Disruptions"...799 Damage Reports from SMEs Amid Middle East War

43 More Cases Reported Compared to Last Week

Due to the prolonged war situation between the United States and Israel and Iran, the number of damage reports filed by domestic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has reached nearly 800 cases.

According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on May 13, as of 12:00 p.m. on the same day, a total of 799 cases of damages, difficulties, and concerns related to the Middle East situation had been reported by SMEs. This is an increase of 43 cases compared to the previous week. Since February 28, the Ministry has been accepting online reports through its official website, as well as phone and in-person submissions at 15 regional export support centers.

Among the reported cases, 604 were classified as actual damages or difficulties, while 125 were concerns. By type of issue (with multiple responses allowed), 271 cases (44.9%) involved transportation disruptions, making it the most common type. This was followed by increased logistics costs with 223 cases (36.9%). Other issues included 209 cases (34.6%), contract cancellations or postponements with 201 cases (33.3%), business trip disruptions with 109 cases (18.0%), and unpaid payments with 87 cases (14.4%). As for concerns (with multiple responses allowed), transportation disruptions accounted for 85 cases (68.0%), followed by other issues at 40 cases (32.0%), and loss of contact at 9 cases (7.2%).

By country, the highest number of damage and difficulty reports came from Middle Eastern countries other than Iran and Israel, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, with 459 cases. Iran accounted for 94 cases, and Israel for 89 cases. There were also 231 reports of damages from countries outside the Middle East.

In one major case, a fabric manufacturer reported that the prices of all petrochemical-derived raw materials had increased. Items less affected saw prices rise by 20%, while those most affected experienced increases of 150% to 200%, resulting in production disruptions.

There was also a company whose export order had been confirmed, but due to instability in flight routes, the airline refused to ship all cargo. Unable to determine a schedule, the company now faces the risk of having a contract worth approximately USD 40,000 canceled.

Another company that handles products requiring on-site installation after business trips reported that, due to the war in the Middle East, it was impossible to install products locally, resulting in a delay of a Dubai export contract worth about USD 100,000. Additionally, an SME that had planned to participate in a local exhibition in Turkey and neighboring countries in April 2026, and was preparing marketing activities in collaboration with a domestic buyer, had to cancel both the event and its marketing plans due to the war.