News / Maersk waives Red Sea disruption fee as its tests the Suez waters

Photo: VesselFinder

Maersk has reportedly waived its ‘transit disruption fee’ after the 6,645 teu Maersk Sebarok (above) transited the Suez Canal on 23 December.

The vessel – deployed on Maersk’s India/Middle East-US east coast MECL1 route, a US sealift service on which APL and CMA CGM charter slots, with all tonnage is provided by Maersk – departed Salalah on 15 December, according to AIS data, and diverted from its planned passage around the Cape of Good Hope.

The vessel is now scheduled to arrive at New York on 13 January, followed by calls at Charleston, Savannah and Houston.

However, the passage appeared to be something of a trial – according to Xeneta’s eeSea liner database, the next vessel in the MECL1 rotation, the US-flagged 6,200 teu Maersk Atlanta, passed the Cape of Good Hope on 3 January and is expected in New York on 20 January.

And, the vessel after that in the service rotation, the 6,650 teu Maersk Senang, is off the coast of East Africa, southbound for the Cape.

Maersk introduced the surcharge at the tail-end of 2023, set at $200 per teu diverted from Suez, and up to $450 per feu.

“The move appears to mark a shift in how the Danish carrier is pricing routes involving the Suez Canal and Red Sea passage, which have been disrupted for the past two years,” noted Alphaliner today.

Maersk has said it would take a “stepwise approach” to renewing Suez transits, depending on security in the area.

The Danish carrier did not respond to a request for comment, but on 22 December it reported the Suez transit, and said: “Whilst this is a significant step forward, it does not mean that we are at a point where we are considering a wider east-west network change back to the trans-Suez corridor.

“Assuming that security thresholds continue to be met, we are considering continuing our stepwise approach towards gradually resuming navigation along the east-west corridor via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

“The first step is this initial sailing, followed by a limited number of additional trans-Suez sailings. However, there are no planned sailings currently,” it said.