THE plethora of carrier notifications of GRIs, PSSs, rate recoveries and other surcharge/cost increases looks to have peaked in Australasian trades, a little more rapidly than internationally.
Drewry’s World Container Index rose a marginal 1% on major east-west routes last week but was nevertheless 297% ahead of the same week in 2023.
The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index for Shanghai-Melbourne shows rates still hovering at US$1400/TEU, where it’s been since roughly 6 June – but this is still an astounding increase from c. US$248/TEU a year ago.
Notifications in the past seven days include:
From today [15 July] Maersk Line introduces a PSS from the world (excluding regulated territories) to French Polynesia of US$300/dry TEU and $600/Dry and high-cube FEU. The surcharge is applicable until further notice.
ANL last week advised that “in order to maintain a high level of service” it will implementing a GRI from 1 August, at US$300/TEU dry/reefer and US$600/FEU dry/reefer for all shipments from North East Asia to Australia East Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide an New Zealand. This increase will apply on top of current Spot/FAK rates subject to all applicable surcharges valid on time of shipment.
Also from 1 August AL will apply a PSS to all shipments to Timor Leste and Darwin “due to rising operational costs resulting from port congestion, container imbalance, and surging global demand”. The surcharge will be US$300/TEU dry and reefer, and $600/FEU for dry and high-cube, and reefer.
Ahead of this a number of New Zealand charges will rise for CMA CGM Group brands, including CMA CGM itself, ANL and Sofrana ANL.
Effective 3 August for non-US trades and the following day for US trades, export THCs from all NZ ports will be NZ$489/TEU dry and $629/FEU dry, and $650/TEU reefer and $758/FEU reefer.
Similarly, import THCs will be levied at NZ$540/TEU dry, $773/FEU dry, $643/TEU reefer, $802/FEU reefer, $820/TEU out-of-gauge, and $950/FEU out of gauge.
The Group has also notified that “to continue to provide service level on the Metroport (NZAN3) rail option with recently revised costs”, a surcharge of NZ$61/TEU and $122/FEU will be introduced from 3 August. This will apply on all containers moving via to/from Metroport/Tauranga; the current Metroport TUC charge of NZ$13.50/TEU will be removed and rolled into the Metroport Surcharge.
NPDL is implementing a rate restoration program from Asia/ Latin America/ Africa and the Middle East to Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, applicable to all cargo loaded in Asia from the 9 August. The restoration amounts to US$250/TEU for dry and reefer, and $500/FEU for dry and reefer.
Meanwhile, with no Red Sea resolution in sight AAL Shipping has “taken the hard decision to re-route our ‘Europe – Middle East / India – Asia Liner Service’ (EUMEIA) sailings around the Cape of Good Hope, rather than transiting the Red Sea as originally planned. (This is) due to elevated threat levels in the Red Sea, following a serious spate of Houthi attacks and upon advice from local security authorities and partners.
“Considering this routing change, and the significant increase in sailing costs that will be incurred as a result, we will be applying a ‘Cape of Good Hope Surcharge (COGHS)’ to affected voyages with immediate effect and in the sum of USD 25.00 per FRT.”
The first of these voyages will be AAL Dalian v.24005 and AAL Melbourne v.24004.
“Whilst the situation in the Red Sea remains volatile and subject to change at any time, we will continue to monitor events daily and notify you immediately in the event of any change,” AAL said.
