Comment / Mærsk's heavy 20ft surcharge – when 'normal' loads become premium cargo

ID 394268911 © Bj�rn Wylezich | Dreamstime.com

Mærsk is quietly turning the screw on heavy 20ft loads out of Asia to the Mediterranean, and many shippers will only feel it when the invoice lands.

From 7 December, the carrier will apply a flat heavy load surcharge (HWS) of US$400 to all 20ft equipment moving from Far East Asia (excluding Taiwan) to any Med port once the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) tips over 20 tons, with Taiwan-origin cargo following on 22 December.

That is a sharp reset from the current ...