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"Danish shipping and oil company A.P. Moller-Maersk has suspended new oil tanker deals with Iran due to European Union sanctions which will embargo imports of oil from the Islamic Republic into the bloc, a senior Maersk official told Reuters on Wednesday... 'As of 24 Jan 2012, all new fixtures involving Iran and all carriages of products with Iranian origin have been suspended,' said Henrik Ramskov, chief operating officer with Maersk Tankers, a unit of the Maersk group and one of the world's top tanker operators... A Maersk spokesman said its tanker unit made 14 Iran related voyages in 2011, 'representing a miniscule part of their activity.'" (Reuters, "Maersk suspends oil tanker trade deals with Iran," 2/8/2012)

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"The U.S. move led the world's top container player Maersk Line to suspend operations at several Iranian ports including Bandar Abbas... Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk , which owns Maersk Line, said it was still engaged in business with Iran including the transport of provisions, natural gas and crude oil as well as bunker fuel supply to Maersk-related vessels, in compliance with sanctions. 'The group has and continues to update a comprehensive compliance program involving all relevant foreign trade controls,' it said." (Reuters, "Sanctions blowback crippling Iran's shipping trade," 12/1/2011)

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"The world's largest container firm suspended operations at several Iranian ports on Thursday, potentially disrupting critical food shipments as it complies with tightening U.S. sanctions. Maersk line, a unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk, manages several refrigerated ships and container vessels that transport food to the country, including wheat, rice and bananas from Asia. Shipments could be delayed for weeks as Maersk adjusts its operations in the Middle East, analysts said... The United States last week blacklisted Tidewater Middle East Co. and prohibited U.S. entities from any transactions with the major Iranian port operator, which manages over 90 percent of the country's container operations. 'Maersk Line is committed to complying with all relevant foreign trade controls and sanctions programmes,' said Morten Engelstoft, chief operating officer for Maersk Line in a statement on Thursday. 'In this connection, Maersk Line has decided to cease acceptance of, business to and from the Iranian ports of Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khomeini and Asaluyeh.' ... Maersk operates in other Iranian ports and could also divert shipments to Dubai, partnering with other companies that are not bound by U.S. sanctions aimed at curtailing Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme... Tidewater-managed ports have been used to export arms or handle related material in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the U.S. Treasury said last week. International sanctions are aimed at curtailing Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme." (Reuters. "World's top shipper suspends some Iran ops over sanctions," 6/30/11)

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In July 2010, Maersk paid a $3.1 million fine to the US government for violating embargoes against both Iran and Sudan (Fox News, "Danish Shipping Firm Denies Violating US Sanctions Against Iran", 8/2/2010).

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Maersk Line lists two Iranian offices on its website, one in Tehran and one in Bandar Abbas, registered to the company Maersk Iran A.S. (Maersk Line Company Website).

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Maersk Iran A.S. lists Shaheed Rajee Container Terminal in Bandar Abbas, Khorramshahr Terminal in Khorramshahr, and Bandar Imam Khomeini Terminal in Bandar Imam Khomeini as service points for imports and exports (Maersk Line Export Services).

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Beginning on September 15, 2009, Maersk began offering “direct call to Bandar Abbas, Iran” on the FM1 line.  The company advertises “Direct service to/from Bandar Abbas…competitive transit time for Iran bound cargo…[and] transit time for Iran export cargo to Far East improved by 7 days along with direct coverage into Singapore and China” (Maersk Line Customer Advisory, 9/14/09).

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Maersk Line has weekly service in and out of the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, on its Far East-Middle East FM1 line.  Other ports on the line include Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Jebel Ali Dubai in the U.A.E, Singapore, and multiple ports in China (Maersk Line Service Network Website).

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In June 2010, according to Maersk Line’s “Schedule by Port,” 15 Maersk Shipping Container Vessels came through the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas (Maersk Line Shipping Containers- Schedule by Port).  This includes the German-flagged Busan Express, the UK-flagged Hyundai Oakland, and the Greek-flagged Sea-Land New York.  The ships headed to ports in the U.A.E., Karachi, Singapore, China, and India (Maersk Line Shipping Containers- Schedule by Vessel).

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In June 2010, according to Maersk Line’s “Schedule by Port,” two ships made seven total trips to Khorramshahr Terminal.  The Cyprus-flagged MCP LINZ and the Ali 18 traveled between Khorramshahr (Iran), Jebel Ali Dubai (U.A.E.), and Bandar Khomeini (Iran) according to Maersk’s “Schedule by Vessel.”

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In June 2010, according to Maersk Line’s “Schedule by Port,” two ships made five total trips to Bandar Imam Khomeini Container Terminal in Iran.  The Cyprus-flagged MCP LINZ and the Ali 18 traveled between Bandar Khomeini (Iran), Jebel Ali Dubai (U.A.E.), and Khorramshahr (Iran) (Maersk Line Schedule by Vessel).

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The International Business Monitor lists Maersk as one of the shipping lines that does business in and out of the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas (International Business Monitor, “Iran Shipping Market Overview- Port of Bandar Abbas,” 4/28/2010).

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Maersk Tankers CEO Soren Skou said that 25 tankers worldwide are being used to store oil, 20 of which are commissioned by Iran.  Mr. Skou did not, however, specify if any of them are owned or operated by Maersk (Reuters, “Floating Oil Storage Ending: Maersk,” 5/27/2010).

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AP Moeller-Maersk does extensive business with the United States government, having earned nearly $4 billion ($3,980,588,981) in government contracts from 2000-2010, according to USASpending.gov. Nearly 95 percent of these funds came from the U.S. Defense Department. USASpending.gov also lists that Maersk Company Ltd., the British arm of AP Moeller Maersk, has received $480,484,505 in government contracts in the past decade, with more than 95 percent of those funds coming from the U.S. Defense Department.

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In 2010, Maersk Line Ltd, the US arm of Maersk Line, won a contract worth over $460 million to operate twelve U.S. Navy vessels.  Under the contract, Maersk Line Ltd will operate and maintain 10 ships in the US Navy Military Sealift Command’s Maritime Prepositioning Force and help the government manage its cargo.  The two other ships “carry ammunition, explosives, vehicles, and containerized cargo for the US Army’s prepositioning program.” The contract begins in 2010, and if all options are exercised, will continue until 2015 (Tradewinds.no, “Maersk Wins US Navy Work,” 6/1/2010).