Maersk announces Asia-Rotterdam fare increase

Maersk has announced that it will charge a higher spot rate for container cargo between Asia and six destinations in Northern Europe, including Rotterdam, for the remainder of this year. The Danish container shipping company states that this is necessary to continue to provide shippers with “a broad portfolio of high-quality services”.

For a long time, container shipping companies on the Asia-Northern Europe routes have been saddened by how container rates continue to fall, even now that summer has begun, the time when container shipping normally enters the peak season. The spot rate for a forty-foot container Shanghai-Rotterdam, still $ 15,000 at the height of the corona boom, had shrunk to $ 1,313 last week, according to consultant Drewry’s World Container Index.

Maersk says in its “Rate Announcement” that starting July 31, it will charge $ 1,900 for FAK (Freight All Kinds), a general spot rate for smaller cargo parties, for transports from Asia to Rotterdam. The same rate will apply to the destinations of Felixstowe (England) and Gdansk (Poland). To Aarhus (Denmark) and Göteborg (Sweden), Maersk wants to charge USD 1,950 per forty-footer, to Oslo (Norway) USD 2,200.

The new rates will apply ‘until further notice’ until New Year’s Eve, and no longer, according to Maersk.