Why Major Shipping Lines Are Imposing $2,000 Peak Surcharges in May 2025
Publish Time: 2025-04-21 Origin: Site
Shipping Giants Roll Out May 2025 Rate Hikes Amid Tariff Chaos
Surcharge Wave Hits Key Trade Lanes
1. Hapag-Lloyd
- East Asia → North America (May 12): 
- 1,000/20′∣1,000/20′∣2,000/40' 
- Covered regions: China, Japan, Korea, ASEAN nations 
- Asia → Latin America (April 22): 
- 500/20′∣500/20′∣1,000/40' 
2. Maersk
- Far East (ex-China/HK) → US/Canada (May 15): 
- 1,000/20′∣1,000/20′∣2,000/40'/45' 
- China/HK → Kenya/Dar es Salaam (April 21): 
- New PSS applied 
3. CMA CGM
- China/HK/Macau → West Africa (April 15): 
- $150/TEU for dry cargo 
Market Turmoil Behind the Hikes
- SCFI Index: Edged up 0.1% to 1,394.68 (April 12), but US West Coast rates fell 4.8% as shippers canceled bookings. 
- Trump’s "Retaliatory Tariffs": Created a "ship-now" rush followed by abrupt pauses, destabilizing container flows. 
- Carrier Calculus: Surcharges aim to offset volatility, but actual implementation remains uncertain with shippers resisting rate hikes. 
Why This Matters:
- Domino Effect: Higher fees could inflate consumer goods prices ahead of Q3 peak season. 
- Strategic Pauses: Some importers are delaying shipments until tariff clarity emerges, worsening capacity swings. 
"This isn’t normal seasonality—it’s tariff whiplash," noted a Shanghai-based NVOCC. "Every cargo owner is now a tariff gambler."