Major Carriers Including Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM Announce Collective Freight Rate Hikes
Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-04-07 Origin: Site
As April begins, signals of price increases in the global container shipping market have grown increasingly strong.
Recently, leading liner companies including Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd have successively issued freight rate adjustment notices. The adjustments cover multiple charge items such as Peak Season Surcharge (PSS), Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF), Heavy-Lift Surcharge, and basic freight rates, affecting major trade routes to Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe. Most of these adjustments take effect between late March and mid-April, clearly indicating the industry¡¯s collective intention to push up freight rates.
According to the rate adjustment plans announced by major carriers, this round of price hikes is characterized by wide coverage, rapid implementation, and overlapping surcharges.
Maersk: Simultaneous Increases Across Multiple Routes Including PSS & HWS
Maersk will impose a Peak Season Surcharge on the Far East to South Africa and Mauritius route, at USD 250 per 20GP and USD 500 per 40GP, effective April 6.
For shipments from China (including Hong Kong) to Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Maersk will introduce a Peak Season Surcharge starting April 13:
To Kenya: USD 800 per 20GP, USD 1,400 per 40GP/45HQ
To Dar es Salaam: USD 300 per 20GP, USD 600 per 40GP/45HQ
The same rates apply for both reefer and dry containers.
Meanwhile, Maersk will levy a Peak Season Surcharge on exports from China and Southeast Asia to Mozambique, Madagascar, Zambia, and other African countries, at USD 150 per 20GP and USD 300 per 40GP, also effective April 13.
On the Asia-Pacific to Middle East route, Maersk has implemented a uniform PSS of USD 500 per container, effective March 30.
In addition, Maersk will introduce a new Heavy-Lift Surcharge on the Far East to Latin America route, charging an extra USD 300 per overweight container, implemented in two phases on April 10 and April 27.
MSC: Emergency Bunker Surcharge Raised Again, Increasing Costs on Asia¨CNorth America Routes
Driven by the Middle East situation and shifts in marine fuel supply, global bunker prices have continued to rise. MSC has announced an update to its emergency bunker surcharge policy first released in March. The new rates will take effect May 1 (based on arrival date) for all cargoes exported from Asia to the United States and Canada, until further notice.
Under the updated scheme, 40HQ reefer containers to the U.S. East Coast will face a maximum surcharge of USD 966 per unit; the same container type to the U.S. West Coast will be charged up to USD 701 per unit. MSC stated the adjustment aims to offset operational pressures from rising fuel costs and supply instability.
CMA CGM: Simultaneous Rate Hikes to Africa, Europe & North America
Effective April 6, CMA CGM will impose a Peak Season Surcharge of USD 500 per TEU on the China to West/Central Africa route and USD 200 per TEU on the China to North Africa route.
Starting May 1, CMA CGM will levy a Peak Season Surcharge on all Far East exports to North America (excluding Honolulu and Dutch Harbor):
USD 1,800 per 20GP
USD 2,000 per 40GP
USD 2,530 per 45HQ
Furthermore, CMA CGM will add USD 250 per TEU on the Far East to Mauritius route and launch new FAK rates from Asia to Northern Europe: USD 2,000 per 20GP and USD 3,500 per 40GP/40HQ, effective April 1.
Hapag-Lloyd: Significant Regional Variations, Surcharges Up to USD 2,200 Per TEU at Select Ports
Hapag-Lloyd will implement a Peak Season Surcharge on routes from Asia and Oceania to West Africa and Southern Africa. Most ports are charged USD 500 per TEU, while Conakry, Guinea, sees a surcharge as high as USD 2,200 per TEU, highlighting sharp differences across ports.
Industry Outlook: Multiple Factors Overlap, Price Surge Likely to Continue
Overall, this round of increases involves not only traditional peak season surcharges but also overlapping bunker charges, overweight fees, and base rate adjustments ¡ª all combining to drive up shipping costs. Routes to the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America have become focal points of this round of hikes due to geopolitical risks, port congestion, and capacity reallocation.
Industry analysts identify three main drivers behind the current upward rate trend:
Sustained high international oil prices directly increasing carriers¡¯ operational costs.
Tightened capacity on certain routes due to security concerns and vessel re-routing.
Gradually emerging peak season stocking demand boosting market expectations.
Against this backdrop, freight forwarders and foreign trade enterprises face heightened uncertainty. It is recommended that relevant companies plan shipments in advance, closely monitor surcharge effective dates and charging rules across different routes ¡ª especially VGM weight standards and overweight surcharge thresholds ¡ª to avoid extra costs from overweight or delays. Meanwhile, optimizing booking schedules and communicating fee changes with customers in a timely manner will help control logistics expenses.
With multiple major carriers raising rates in unison, the global ocean shipping market is expected to enter a new upward cycle in April.
