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⚠️Urgent Notice | Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd collectively raise PSS on African routes! East Africa / South Africa increases up to 300%
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Attention all foreign trade and freight forwarding peers! Entering late October, three major shipping companies—Maersk, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd—have intensively issued announcements imposing peak season surcharges (PSS) on routes to East Africa, South Africa, West Africa, and Indian Ocean island countries. This round of price increases covers a wide range of routes with large increases, and most are noted as [until further notice], constituting a systemic price adjustment on African routes.
📌 Summary of PSS increases by route
✅ East Africa & Indian Ocean routes
- Maersk | Effective November 9
- CMA CGM | Effective November 1, 300USD/TEU
- Hapag-Lloyd | Effective November 1, 800USD/TEU
✅ South Africa, Mauritius, and island country routes
- Maersk | Effective November 9
- CMA CGM | Effective November 1, 300USD/TEU
- Hapag-Lloyd | Effective November 3, 500USD/TEU
✅ West Africa routes (zone-based pricing)
- CMA CGM | Effective October 22 (short-term contracts for dry containers + reefer containers)
- Maersk | Effective October 26
- Hapag-Lloyd | Effective October 25
📈 Two core reasons behind the price increases
- The Red Sea crisis continues, and ships are diverting around the Cape of Good Hope
- Structural pain points of African routes themselves
Ocean shipping costs on African routes account for about 11.4% of cargo value, higher than the global average. Surcharge increases will directly squeeze order profits.
⚠️ Three major risk reminders for freight forwarders & export enterprises
- Cost accounting risk
- Billing rules are complex; be sure to confirm shipment by shipment
- Contract dispute risk
✅ Practical response recommendations
✅ Check each shipment: origin, destination port, container type, booking type, PCD billing rules, and keep written quotations;
✅ Ship during off-peak periods: avoid fully booked voyages on the first day of price increases, split cargo volumes where possible, and spread out shipping schedules;
✅ Improve contracts: add surcharge variation clauses to long-term orders, and agree on cost-sharing methods for PSS, BAF, and other fees;
✅ Continuous tracking: these surcharges are all "until further notice," and further price increases may follow, so keep monitoring carrier announcements.
💬 Final thoughts
The high-cost structure on African routes will be difficult to reverse in the short term. In addition to passively responding to surcharge increases, foreign trade companies deeply cultivating the African market can also plan ahead by setting up forward warehouses, localizing operations, and developing backhaul cargo to reduce dependence on a single ocean shipping channel.
Information source: International Shipping Network
Original link:https://info.shippingchina.com/bluenews/index/detail/id/242402.html
The article content is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.
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