CMA CGM will charge shippers up to US$750 per TEU in new Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) on Asia–Africa container trades, with the steepest fee landing on Far East cargo bound for Durban from 22 October 2026.

The French carrier filed three separate surcharges across its Africa network:

• US$750 per TEU — Far East to Durban, South Africa, effective 22 October 2026, all cargo types, until further notice.
• US$200 per TEU — Southeast Asia to northern West Africa, effective 15 October 2026, all cargo under short-term contracts.
• US$200 per TEU — China to Mozambique, effective 22 October 2026, all cargo types, until further notice.

Which trades pay the most?

The Far East–Durban lane carries the highest hit. At $750 per TEU — applied to every cargo type and open-ended in duration — the surcharge materially raises landed costs for importers feeding South Africa's peak-season demand through the country's busiest container gateway.

For cargo originating in China, CMA CGM will subject the charge to its filing with the Shanghai Shipping Exchange, or it may simply fold the PSS into the ocean freight rate. That gives the carrier flexibility on how — and how visibly — the cost reaches Chinese shippers' invoices.

What about West Africa and Mozambique?

The Southeast Asia–northern West Africa surcharge applies specifically to cargo moving on short-term contracts, a signal that the carrier aims to capture spot exposure ahead of the peak season. Covered destinations include Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

The China–Mozambique PSS mirrors the Durban structure: $200 per TEU, all cargo types, effective 22 October 2026, until further notice. China-origin shipments here too fall under Shanghai Shipping Exchange filing requirements or possible inclusion in the base ocean freight.

Shippers should read the headline numbers as a floor, not a ceiling. CMA CGM stated the surcharges are additional to applicable basic freight rates, and bunker-related charges, terminal handling charges, safety and security surcharges, and other local or contingency charges may also apply on top.

Commercial consequences

For shippers and forwarders with fixed budgets on these lanes, the timing matters most: two of the three surcharges activate within a single week in late October, and none carries an announced expiry. Contract holders on the West Africa lane escape only if their agreements sit outside the short-term category the PSS targets.

For the carrier, the filings monetize strong Asia–Africa demand into the peak season and protect yield on capacity the line has committed to South and East African ports. Competitors on the same corridors typically follow such moves within weeks, so BCOs should expect parallel surcharge announcements from rival operators serving Durban, Maputo and the West African range.

Importers into Durban face the sharpest margin squeeze: $750 per TEU on top of base rates and ancillary charges adds a five-figure cost to any significant booking volume. Procurement teams pricing Q4 and Q1 programmes on these lanes should build the surcharges into contract negotiations now rather than absorb them post-invoice.

With all three charges set to remain "until further notice," the effective cost base on Asia–Africa trades resets upward from mid-October, and the withdrawal timeline — like the surcharges themselves — rests entirely with the carrier.