Thursday, June 26, 2025
Home Rates & Surcharges CMA CGM to levy surcharges for overweight India-US shipments

CMA CGM to levy surcharges for overweight India-US shipments

French container line CMA CGM has implemented a hefty surcharge on overweight containerised shipments moving from India to the US and Canada.

20-foot standard containers weighing over 20 MT, including the weight of the box, now attract a penalty of US$1,000 per TEU until further notice, the carrier noted in a new customer advisory.

“This is in addition to any existing surcharge/rules applicable with inland point movement,” CMA CGM (India) said. “The charges are in addition to any existing tariff rate restoration initiatives.”

According to market sources, other liners active in the India-US trade are also penalising customers for overweight shipments.

The move comes as freight rates on the same trade lane are set to climb up again with fresh general rate increase (GRI) and peak season surcharge announcements, mostly slated to take effect in early August, after somewhat steady pricing trends over the past couple of months.

Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) and Hapag-Lloyd have already issued GRI notices for next month.

However, it remains to be seen if carriers will be able to hold firm on their planned rate hike initiatives amid demand slowdown signs.

Meanwhile, in an apparent move to mitigate the impact of ongoing schedule disruptions that have become more pronounced on India-Europe connections, MSC earlier this week deployed an extra-loader vessel out of Nhava Sheva (JNPT) and Mundra, with onward stops at Colombo, Singapore, Port Klang and Laem Chabang.

The lingering crisis plaguing Sri Lanka seems to have tightened equipment availability for southern Indian ports because of excessive container turnaround delays.

“While Sri Lanka takes its time to recover from the economic crisis, the Indian ports continue to see its impact,” equipment market analyst Container xChange noted in its recent report. “There has been a 25% shortage of containers at the Chennai Port, which has made it face a rise in shipping costs. With the trade routes between Asia and the US as well as Asia and Europe opening, the shipping industry in the country is struggling to keep up with the gap between container demand and supply.”

The analyst added, “The Container Availability Index also observed the slowed down container movement in Colombo. In the last few weeks, the CAx score for 20DC containers at Colombo has been over 0.5 with week 26 standing at 0.57. This again is a reconfirmation of the fact that the number of containers leaving the port is less as compared to those entering.”


Jenny Daniel
India correspondent

Contact email: j.daniel@container-news.com





Latest Posts

Maersk unveils “Trade & Tariff Studio” to simplify customs management

Maersk has launched Maersk Trade & Tariff Studio, an AI-driven customs-management platform. Lars Karlsson, Global Head of Trade & Customs Consulting at Maersk stated that...

Solstad renews partnership with Marlink

Solstad has renewed its long-standing partnership with Marlink to advance its digitalization strategy through to 2028. Under the new agreement, Marlink will deliver SealinkNextGen, a...

KEZAD and Witthal Gulf Industries sign deal to launch recycling plant

Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Group has signed a 50-year land lease agreement with Witthal Gulf Industries for the establishment of the country’s first...

Emirates Shipping Line announces new service to Seattle

Emirates Shipping Line has announced its entry into the United States market with the launch of the Sun Chief Express service, a direct, fortnightly...

Port of Long Beach approves $833 million budget

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved an $833 million budget for fiscal year 2026, nearly half of which will go toward...
error: Content is protected !!