Hapag-Lloyd Lifts Asia–Europe FAK Rates to $6,800 Per Box

Hapag-Lloyd will charge up to US$6,800 per 40-foot container on Far East–Europe sailings from 1 December 2026, under a Freight All Kinds (FAK) tariff increase the carrier confirmed this week.

The new tariffs apply to 20-foot and 40-foot dry containers, including high-cube equipment, on any sailing with a tariffing date on or after 1 December. The rates stay in force until further notice, the German line said.

What are the new rates by destination?

The published structure stretches a wide arc across Europe, with Mediterranean and Black Sea trades commanding the steepest numbers:

• North Europe: US$3,000 per 20-foot box; US$4,500 per 40-foot dry or high-cube
• West Mediterranean and Adriatic: US$5,100 per 20-foot; US$6,400 per 40-foot
• Türkiye, Egypt and East Mediterranean: US$5,300 per 20-foot; US$6,600 per 40-foot
• Black Sea (Bulgaria, Romania): US$5,450 per 20-foot; US$6,800 per 40-foot — the ceiling of the entire tariff sheet

That spread matters for cargo planners. A box bound for Constanța or Varna now faces a published rate more than 50% higher than the identical shipment moving to Rotterdam or Hamburg — US$6,800 versus US$4,500 per FEU.

What do the rates actually include?

Hapag-Lloyd confirmed the published ocean tariffs include Marine Fuel Recovery (MFR). They remain subject to the carrier's standard tariff conditions and applicable surcharges.

Shippers should read the fine print. Additional bunker-related and security-related charges, Terminal Handling Charges (THCs), and local or contingency charges may also apply, depending on the shipment. In other words, the headline FAK number is a floor for landed cost, not the final invoice.

Why now, and what's the wider picture?

The move tracks the broader market. MSC recently revised its own Far East–Europe FAK tariffs for December, and major container carriers are continuing to adjust published rates across Asia–Europe trade routes as the year closes out.

One detail is missing from Hapag-Lloyd's announcement. The carrier explicitly described the December adjustment as an increase but did not publish previous tariff levels or percentage changes for individual destinations, which makes the exact size of the hike impossible to verify from the carrier's own notice.

For forwarders and BCOs, the practical consequences are immediate. Any Far East export booked with a tariffing date from 1 December will price against the new sheet, and Black Sea and Mediterranean cargo takes the sharpest hit on paper. Fixing tariffing dates before the deadline, or negotiating index-linked contracts outside FAK, becomes the obvious lever.

With MSC already moving and other carriers recalibrating Asia–Europe tariffs in tandem, the direction of published rates heading into December is clearly upward — the open question is whether spot market discipline follows the FAK lead.