TACA TO ADDS WESTBOUND CONTAINER REPOSITIONING CHARGE
The Trans Atlantic Conference Agreement said it will implement a westbound equipment repositioning charge of $100 per container, effective Oct. 1, due to a “chronic and severe trade imbalance.”
Projections of westbound container volumes shows no sign of the imbalance leveling out, and the surcharge is needed to cover “considerable incremental costs to the carriers in repositioning of containers to Europe where they are needed,” TACA said in a statement.
The surcharge is valid initially through June 2002, and is not subject to currency adjustment factor. The charge also does not apply to temperature controlled or open-top container or flat racks.
TACA member lines are Atlantic Container Line, Hapag-Lloyd, Mediterranean Shipping Co., Maersk Sealand, NYK, OOCL, and P&O Nedlloyd.