Several shipping companies have issued price increase notices.

Driven by the dual impact of ongoing tensions in the Middle East and high international fuel prices, the global container shipping market has ushered in a new round of price hikes.

Leading liner companies including Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd and others have successively issued freight rate adjustment notices recently, covering multiple core trade lanes such as Asia-Europe, trans-Pacific and emerging markets, with a wide scope and substantial increase in rates.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced that it will raise the emergency bunker surcharge on routes from Asia to the United States and Canada effective May 1, 2026 (based on gate-in time). The new rates will apply to major ports on the U.S. West Coast, U.S. East Coast and Canada. The company stated that the Middle East conflict has disrupted the global fuel supply chain and increased the difficulty of fuel procurement, which is the main reason for the surcharge adjustment.

Maersk has adjusted its surcharge criteria for certain heavy cargo shipments, primarily applicable to cargo transported from the Far East to Mexico, the West Coast of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Under the new regulations, the revised charging standards will apply to 20‑foot dry containers with a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) exceeding 20 tons, as well as 40‑foot reefer containers exceeding 23 tons.

This adjustment takes effect on April 30, 2026, with implementation delayed until May 15 for certain countries, including Colombia.

For the Europe route, CMA CGM has announced an increase in FAK (Freight All Kinds) rates from Asia to the Mediterranean and North Africa, effective from May 15 to 31, 2026.

The adjustment covers destinations including the Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea, Black Sea and Algeria, and applies to dry containers, reefer containers and out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo.

The new rates include the base ocean freight and relevant surcharges, while Terminal Handling Charges (THC) and security surcharges will still be calculated separately.

Hapag-Lloyd has also raised FAK rates on the Far East to Northern Europe and Mediterranean routes.

The new rates will take effect on May 15, 2026, applying to 20ft, 40ft and high cube containers (including dry and reefer containers), reflecting a general upward trend in freight rates bound for Europe.

Currently, shipping lines are passing on costs to the market through surcharge and FAK rate adjustments, which is a cyclical practice. On the one hand, the ongoing escalation of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East has triggered volatility in the global energy market, leading to a significant increase in carriers’ bunker costs. On the other hand, issues such as route diversions, port congestion and unstable bunkering supplies have further raised operational complexity and cost levels.

A final reminder is given to relevant shippers and freight forwarders to make adequate preparations, strengthen communication with shipping lines, closely track changes in actual transaction rates and space availability, flexibly arrange booking plans, and reasonably avoid risks caused by sharp short-term fluctuations in freight rates.