New Delhi, March 2 -- Just as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were adjusting to lower US tariffs, fresh challenges have emerged at the close of 2025-26 as the US-Iran conflict disrupts key shipping lanes and trade routes in West Asia.

The closure or suspension of shipping through and around the Strait of Hormuz has left consignments stranded at transhipment hubs or stuck in domestic warehouses, tightening liquidity at a time when margins are already thin, according to industry representatives.

The disruption follows months of pressure from steep US tariffs of up to 50%, imposed between August 2025 and February 2026.

Although the US administration cut tariffs to 18% after India signed an interim arrangement with Washington o...