Maersk revises peak season surcharge from Far East Asia to Mediterranean

Maersk has announced a revision to its Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) for cargo moving from Far East Asia to the Mediterranean, with the updated charges set to take effect from 5 January 2026 and remain in place until further notice.

The carrier said the adjustment is intended to support the continued provision of its global services across the trade lane. Details of the revised tariff levels are outlined below.

The revised Peak Season Surcharge applies to shipments originating from Far East Asia, including Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Cambodia, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Mongolia, Macau, Malaysia, Nauru, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Taiwan and Vietnam.

On the destination side, the surcharge applies to Mediterranean ports, covering Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Algeria, Egypt, Spain, France, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Montenegro, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine. The scope also includes other European destinations that use Mediterranean ports as final discharge locations.

For Syria, the affected ports include Banias, Latakia and Tartous.

Maersk noted that different price calculation rules apply depending on the booking type. For non-spot bookings, the applicable rate is determined based on the Price Calculation Date (PCD). For non-FMC cargo, the PCD refers to the scheduled departure date of the first ocean leg at the time of booking confirmation, while for FMC-regulated cargo, it is the last container gate-in date.

For spot bookings, the applicable rate is based on the first vessel’s estimated time of departure at the time of booking confirmation.

Maersk noted that the revised rates remain subject to other applicable surcharges, including local charges and contingency-related fees.

The carrier added that the updated PSS levels do not affect, and are not affected by, any tariffs that have been notified, published or filed in accordance with local regulatory requirements.

For trades governed by the U.S. Shipping Act or China Maritime Regulations, Maersk said that any quotations or surcharges that differ from the Maersk Line tariff will not be binding unless they are included in a service contract or a formally filed service contract amendment with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) or the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, as applicable.