WHILE Drewry’s World Container Index last Friday showed global freight rates creeping up by only 1% for the second week in a row, carriers in Australasian trades have unleashed more GRIs, rate restorations, PSSs and other increases to recoveries from shippers, albeit some tied to annual increases imposed by ports and other bodies.
“I think they just alternate between GRI/ peak season/ contingency and everything in between,” a jaded shipper told DCN. “We truly expect further increases north/south between now and Xmas, as and when lines can!”
ANL from 15 July revised Import / Export Australia Demurrage & Detention Rates “due to increased container costs” and details can be found here.
From 1 August OOCL will apply a Rate Restoration of US$300/TEU and US$600/FEU “to maintain sustainable and reliable schedule to our clients”. It will be applied for both dry and refrigerated cargoes in the base ocean freight for cargoes from North East Asia to Australia and will be applied in full on top of existing ongoing market rates to all shipments based on shipment onboard date, and will be subject to ancillary surcharges applicable at the time of shipment.
On the same date MSC will activate its own the rate restoration, effective for all cargo from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia to Australia and New Zealand, of US$300/TEU.
Also on 1 August ANL will be implementing a General Rate Increase (GRI) at US$300/TEU dry/reefer & US$600/FEU dry/reefer for all shipments from South East Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Gulf to Australia East Coast, Fremantle, and Port Adelaide. This increase will apply on top of current Spot/FAK rates subject to all applicable surcharges valid on time of shipment.
But in further unfortunate news for shippers ANL is using the same date to increase the PSS – “in a continued effort to provide our customers with best reliable and efficient service and due to the imbalance between supply and demand” – to US$550/TEU and 1100/FEU on all shipments from South East Asia, the Indian Sub-Continent and the Middle East/Gulf to Australia.
In a very targeted, move from 10 August CMA CGM will update its Reefer Operational Surcharge, applicable to Pharma cargo carried in reefer containers. From that date this cargo, shipped from all origins except North America to all destinations will attract a ROS of US$250 per unit; from North America the charge is doubled to US$500 per unit.
CMA CGM says this surcharge is mandatory and covers the following preparations: Mandatory full Pre Trip Inspection (PTI); clean, dry and odour-free container; locked keyboard; age of equipment (maximum 5 years); drains and ventilation closed; Good Distribution Practice (GDP) qualified equipment; access to data after the trip (per request); and risk assessment prior to booking (POL/POD and number of transhipment ports).
On 15 August ANL/CMA CGM Group will apply revised import and export terminal handling charges (THCs) in all Australian ports. More information is available here.
Finally, AAL Shipping customers of their Asia to East Coast and West Coast Australia breakbulk liner services face new Port Service Charges (PSCs) and Destination Container Port Service Charges, effective from AAL Hong Kong V24007, due on the coast at Brisbane 31 July and AAL Fremantle V24008 due Fremantle 7 August. Details available here.
