By Steve Agbota
A Shipping firm, CMA CGM, has slammed $1,200 Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) per Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU), on Nigerian shippers to transport their dry cargo from Asia to ports in Apapa, Lekki and other locations across the country.
The Peak Season Surcharge will take effect from June 15, 2025, according to the shipping line in its newly released notice.
Already, Apapa port is experiencing a surge in import volumes, which has impacted the collection of empty containers, as shipping lines prioritise the discharge of imports, according to APMT Terminal.
Other destination markets affected by the surcharge include key ports in West Africa’s Central Range, namely Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Ghana, Togo, and Equatorial Guinea as well as the South Range, which covers Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Namibia, Gabon, and Cameroon
The company, in a notice issued to customers, said the surcharge reflects broader market dynamics as carriers respond to seasonal cargo surges and operational cost pressures along the Asia–Africa trade corridor.
According to the shipping company, the surcharge will apply to dry cargo transported under short-term contracts from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, China, and the Hong Kong & Macau Special Administrative Regions.
The firm said the surcharge is in addition to basic freight rates and does not cover other applicable costs such as bunker-related fees, terminal handling charges (THC), and safety or security surcharges.
In a separate development, the company imposed a separate surcharge to cargo from China destined for countries in West Africa’s North Range, which includes Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé & Príncipe.
The company said the surcharge for these destinations is set at $1,600 per 20-foot container, with charges for 40-foot containers remaining unchanged.
The shipping line emphasised that the updated charges exclude additional costs, including basic freight, bunker adjustment factors, THC, and safety and security surcharges.
CMA CGM stated that the surcharge adjustments are in response to seasonal market pressures and are intended to ensure uninterrupted service along one of the world’s busiest trade corridors during peak shipping periods.
The company reiterated that the changes are part of its ongoing commitment to providing “reliable and efficient services” amid peak demand.
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