Maersk updates peak season surcharges across Europe and North America trades
Maersk has announced new and revised Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) affecting container shipments from Far East Asia to Northern Europe and from the Indian Subcontinent to the eastern and Gulf coasts of the United States and Canada.
The two announcements, issued on November 12, 2026, introduce different implementation dates and tariff levels depending on the trade route, container size and origin. The changes will take effect on November 14 for the Indian Subcontinent–North America trade and December 1 for shipments from Far East Asia to Northern Europe.
New surcharge on Far East Asia–North Europe shipments
Maersk will implement a PSS of USD 500 per 20-foot container and USD 1,000 per 40-foot or 45-foot container for shipments from Far East Asia to Northern Europe, effective from December 1, 2026, based on the applicable Price Calculation Date (PCD).
The surcharge covers shipments originating from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries included in Maersk’s Far East Asia trade scope.
According to the carrier, the measure applies to all equipment categories, including standard dry containers, refrigerated equipment, open-top containers, flat racks, tank containers and other specialised units.
The new announcement follows Maersk’s earlier decision to discontinue its PSS on Far East Asia–North Europe and Mediterranean shipments from September 1, 2026. The December measure therefore introduces a new surcharge for the North Europe trade following that suspension.
Revised tariffs from the Indian Subcontinent to North America
In a separate announcement, Maersk revised its PSS for selected shipments from the Indian Subcontinent to the US and Canadian East and Gulf coasts, effective November 14, 2026.
For cargo originating from northwest Indian ports, including Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Pipavav and Hazira, as well as Nepal and Bhutan, the revised surcharge will be USD 3,550 per 20-foot dry container and USD 3,850 per 40-foot or 45-foot dry container.
Shipments from southern and eastern India, including Chennai, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, Kattupalli, Krishnapatnam and Tuticorin, together with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives, will be subject to a surcharge of USD 3,700 for both 20-foot and 40-foot or 45-foot dry containers.
These rates apply to the specified North American destinations excluding Houston, while shipments originating from Pakistan will carry a PSS of USD 3,000 per container across the listed dry equipment sizes, covering all ports of discharge within the announced scope.
The revised tariffs follow an earlier Maersk update issued on November 5, which established different surcharge levels for several of the same trade lanes.
Application and booking conditions
Maersk confirmed that the revised North America-bound surcharges do not apply to SPOT bookings. For non-SPOT shipments, the applicable charge is determined by the Price Calculation Date, which depends on the relevant regulatory framework and booking conditions.
For shipments outside Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) jurisdiction, the PCD generally corresponds to the scheduled departure date of the first ocean leg at the time of booking confirmation. For FMC-regulated shipments, it is based on the last container gate-in date.
The carrier also noted that the announced amounts may be subject to additional local and contingency charges and do not represent complete all-inclusive freight rates.
The two announcements establish separate pricing adjustments across major international container trade corridors as Maersk updates its surcharge structure ahead of the final weeks of 2026.
