Up to US$1,600/box!The three major shipping giants have successively adjusted West African surcharge
- Author:Maintenance network
- Source:Maintenance network
- Release Date:2026-11-09
At the beginning of November, West African routes ushered in another round of surcharge adjustments.On November 5, CMA CGM issued two peak season surcharge notices within one day, targeting routes from China, Hong Kong and Macao, and Southeast Asia to West Africa.Previously, Maersk had charged PSS of up to US$1,600/box on routes from China and Southeast Asia to West Africa, and Hapag-Lloyd also announced that it would charge US$400/TEU on routes from Asia and Oceania to Tema Port in Ghana.From mid-October to the present, surcharges on West African routes have been adjusted one after another.For freight forwarders who are arranging shipments, the quotation has just been confirmed, and the next shipping company announcement may change the cost.
According to two announcements issued by CMA CGM on November 5, 2026, the peak season surcharges for West African routes have been adjusted again.The first one is for routes from China, Hong Kong and Macao to West Africa. It will be implemented from November 8 (calculated based on the loading date) and is applicable to dry cargo, refrigerated cargo and short-term contracts.Among them, the West Africa and Central route implements differentiated charges according to the place of departure: North China and northern China charge 550 US dollars/TEU, and South China, Hong Kong and Macao areas charge 950 US dollars/TEU.Compared with the unified rate of US$700/TEU that has been implemented since November 1, this adjustment is not a simple overall price increase, but a reclassification of the charging levels at the departure point: the North will decrease by US$150/TEU, and South China, Hong Kong and Macao will increase by US$250/TEU.They are also shipped to central West African markets such as Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Equatorial Guinea. However, if the origin is different, the PSS will differ by US$400/TEU.The second notice is for the route from Southeast Asia to West Africa. Starting from November 15 (calculated based on the loading date), dry cargo and refrigerated cargo will be charged a uniform fee of US$500/TEU, which is applicable to short-term contracts.24 days, four adjustments If you put together the rate changes of the CMA CGM West Africa Central route in the past month, the adjustment rhythm is quite intensive.From October 15th: US$200/TEU; from October 22nd: US$350/TEU; from November 1st: US$700/TEU; from November 8th: US$550/TEU in North China and North China, US$950/TEU in South China, Hong Kong and Macao.From US$200 to US$950, the highest charging tier in South China, Hong Kong and Macao increased by US$750/TEU within 24 days.Looking further ahead, CMA CGM West Africa PSS has also experienced a significant decline this year.According to a notice issued by CMA CGM on July 8, since July 16, the PSS for routes in central and southern West Africa has been reduced to US$125/TEU, while the previous charge of US$200/TEU for routes to northern West Africa has been cancelled.In mid-October, the surcharge increased again and was adjusted several times within a month.From US$125 to US$950 in South China, Hong Kong and Macao, it has exceeded the original price by seven times.The rate changes on this route do have the feeling of reappearing in the past: they have just been reduced in the early period, but the market has changed slightly, and the surcharges have been pushed up again.
CMA CGM is not the only shipping company to adjust surcharges on West African routes.Maersk issued a PSS adjustment notice from China to West Africa as early as October 12, which will take effect from October 26, involving all destination ports from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to West Africa.The charging standards are as follows: 20-foot dry box and refrigerated box: US$800/carton; 40-foot dry box and refrigerated box: US$1,600/carton; 45-foot high box: US$1,600/carton (dry box applicable).On October 20, Maersk issued another PSS adjustment notice from Southeast Asia to West Africa.Starting from November 3, the charging standards from Vietnam to West Africa are: 20-foot, 40-foot and 45-foot high containers: US$800/container.From Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and East Timor to West Africa: 20-foot container: USD 600/box; 40-foot and 45-foot high containers: USD 800/box.In comparison, Maersk charges US$800 for a 20-foot container and US$1,600 for a 40-foot container on the route from China to West Africa. The corresponding charges in some Southeast Asian countries are US$600 and US$800 respectively.The charging gap has widened for different places of departure and different container types.
01 CMA CGM issued two announcements in one day
According to two announcements issued by CMA CGM on November 5, 2026, the peak season surcharges for West African routes have been adjusted again.The first one is for routes from China, Hong Kong and Macao to West Africa. It will be implemented from November 8 (calculated based on the loading date) and is applicable to dry cargo, refrigerated cargo and short-term contracts.Among them, the West Africa and Central route implements differentiated charges according to the place of departure: North China and northern China charge 550 US dollars/TEU, and South China, Hong Kong and Macao areas charge 950 US dollars/TEU.Compared with the unified rate of US$700/TEU that has been implemented since November 1, this adjustment is not a simple overall price increase, but a reclassification of the charging levels at the departure point: the North will decrease by US$150/TEU, and South China, Hong Kong and Macao will increase by US$250/TEU.They are also shipped to central West African markets such as Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo, and Equatorial Guinea. However, if the origin is different, the PSS will differ by US$400/TEU.The second notice is for the route from Southeast Asia to West Africa. Starting from November 15 (calculated based on the loading date), dry cargo and refrigerated cargo will be charged a uniform fee of US$500/TEU, which is applicable to short-term contracts.24 days, four adjustments If you put together the rate changes of the CMA CGM West Africa Central route in the past month, the adjustment rhythm is quite intensive.From October 15th: US$200/TEU; from October 22nd: US$350/TEU; from November 1st: US$700/TEU; from November 8th: US$550/TEU in North China and North China, US$950/TEU in South China, Hong Kong and Macao.From US$200 to US$950, the highest charging tier in South China, Hong Kong and Macao increased by US$750/TEU within 24 days.Looking further ahead, CMA CGM West Africa PSS has also experienced a significant decline this year.According to a notice issued by CMA CGM on July 8, since July 16, the PSS for routes in central and southern West Africa has been reduced to US$125/TEU, while the previous charge of US$200/TEU for routes to northern West Africa has been cancelled.In mid-October, the surcharge increased again and was adjusted several times within a month.From US$125 to US$950 in South China, Hong Kong and Macao, it has exceeded the original price by seven times.The rate changes on this route do have the feeling of reappearing in the past: they have just been reduced in the early period, but the market has changed slightly, and the surcharges have been pushed up again.
02Adjustment notices from other shipping companies
CMA CGM is not the only shipping company to adjust surcharges on West African routes.Maersk issued a PSS adjustment notice from China to West Africa as early as October 12, which will take effect from October 26, involving all destination ports from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to West Africa.The charging standards are as follows: 20-foot dry box and refrigerated box: US$800/carton; 40-foot dry box and refrigerated box: US$1,600/carton; 45-foot high box: US$1,600/carton (dry box applicable).On October 20, Maersk issued another PSS adjustment notice from Southeast Asia to West Africa.Starting from November 3, the charging standards from Vietnam to West Africa are: 20-foot, 40-foot and 45-foot high containers: US$800/container.From Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and East Timor to West Africa: 20-foot container: USD 600/box; 40-foot and 45-foot high containers: USD 800/box.In comparison, Maersk charges US$800 for a 20-foot container and US$1,600 for a 40-foot container on the route from China to West Africa. The corresponding charges in some Southeast Asian countries are US$600 and US$800 respectively.The charging gap has widened for different places of departure and different container types.
01 Hapag-Lloyd also joined in the adjustment
Hapag-Lloyd official website In addition to CMA CGM and Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd has also recently issued a surcharge notice for West Africa.According to an announcement released on the official website of Hapag-Lloyd on November 3, starting from November 6, cargoes from Asia and Oceania to Ghana's Tema Port (Tema) will be subject to a peak season surcharge.The charging standard is US$400/TEU, applicable to all box types, and will be implemented until further notice.This charge range is for Tema Port, not all destination ports in West Africa. Freight forwarders need to pay attention to the distinction when quoting.In addition, Hapag-Lloyd’s 44th week African operations report updated on October 30 also showed that the operating conditions of many ports in West Africa are still not easy.
03Leave room for freight forwarding quotations
At present, the situation faced by West African routes is not just about rising PSS.On the one hand, shipping companies are constantly adjusting surcharges; on the other hand, waiting times and yard pressure at some destination ports are still high.For freight forwarders, booking costs, destination port operations and refrigerated cargo transportation arrangements all need to be recalculated.Especially for goods that have been quoted but have not yet been shipped, the cost cannot be calculated based on the rate at the time of initial booking.This adjustment of CMA CGM is based on the date of shipment. Goods shipped before and after November 8 are particularly required to verify the applicable rates on a ticket-by-ticket basis.Different origins, destination ports, container types and contract types may also correspond to different charging standards.This year, the West African route has experienced a sharp decrease in PSS followed by an increase in PSS. It is best to leave room for changes in surcharges when freight forwarders quote. For goods that have been booked but not shipped, it is also necessary to continue to follow the latest announcements from the shipping company to avoid the fact that the freight quotation has not changed, but the actual shipping cost has increased.