SOUTH AFRICA/U.S. CONFERENCE INCREASES NORTHBOUND RATES
Shipping lines of the U.S./Southern Africa Conference
are introducing an imbalance surcharge and a general rate increase applicable to
northbound shipments.
Effective Oct. 1, Lykes Lines, Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co.
and SafBank will implement a container imbalance surcharge of $150 per 20-foot container
and $225 per 40-footer.
The surcharge is designed to compensate carriers for the cost of
repositioning empty containers to Africa, as the northbound southern Africa/U.S. trade has
become dominant.
The conference lines will also increase ocean rates by 10 percent,
effective Dec. 1.