CMA CGM Hikes Rates, Surcharges

French ocean shipping company CMA CGM announced a series of rate increases and peak-season surcharges that will take effect on U.S. services this month and on other trades in August.

The world’s third-largest carrier by fleet capacity said rates from the western and eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea to the U.S. East Coast would increase on July 11 by $150 per 20-foot dry and reefer container and $250 per 40-foot dry/reefer container.
CMA CGM will levy a peak-season surcharge on shipments from Asia to the U.S. and Canadian west coast and U.S. East Coast of $320 per 20-foot dry and reefer container, $400 per 40-foot dry and reefer box and $450 per 40-foot high-cube and reefer container.
Effective Aug. 1, shippers face a $600-per-TEU increase on shipments from Asia to the west and east coasts of South America, the west coast of Central America and Mexico.
Rates from Asia to the Caribbean also will rise by $560 per 20-foot container and $800 for a 40-foot box on Aug. 1.
The cost of shipping a 20-foot container from Asia to West Africa will increased $200 on Aug. 1. Shippers also face a $150-per-TEU overweight surcharge on the route, effective July 15.
CMA CGM also is levying a peak-season surcharge of $100 per TEU from July 15 to Aug. 1 on the Asia-South Africa route.
The carrier also announced a $125-per-TEU operational surcharge effective July 15 for all shipments from the Port of Qingdao, China, to North Europe to cover increased costs incurred when fog forced the port to close. The port has been closed on average three days a week over the past month as dense fog prevents ships berthing and hinders normal terminal operations. The lost time has to be recovered by a significant increase in fuel consumption due to higher sailing speeds and omitting port calls that generate additional feeder expenses.
The surcharge will be removed when operations return to normal, the carrier said.
Source: The Journal of Commerce