China Shipping plans ISPS surcharges for European ports

China Shipping plans ISPS surcharges for European ports

   China Shipping Container Lines said it will introduce International Ship and Port Facility Security Code surcharges at ports of continental northern Europe and the United Kingdom, effective Sept. 15.

   The carrier’s ISPS surcharge for continental northern European ports will be 15 euros ($18.12) per unit, according to a circular of China Shipping Container Lines (Hong Kong). The circular does not say which trade routes the surcharge will apply to, nor how it defines a unit. For British ports, the surcharge will be '7 ($12.41) per unit eastbound from Felixstowe and Southampton, and '1.50 ($2.66) per unit westbound to Felixstowe and Southampton.

   The surcharge will be payable by the shipper or consignee in Europe who pays the terminal handling charge.

   China Shipping’s ISPS surcharges differ from the port security surcharges recently announced by the Far Eastern Freight Conference in Europe. Effective Sept. 15, the Asia/Europe conference surcharge will be 5 euros ($6.04) per container in ports of the North Continent of Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic and the Mediterranean; '1.50 ($2.66) for the ports of Felixstowe, Thamesport, Tilbury and Southampton; and '3.50 ($6.20) for other ports in the United Kingdom.