Maersk is removing US$500 per box from its Emergency Contingency Surcharge (ECS) on the B1S trade running from the Indian Subcontinent to the West Coast of Latin America, with the revised charges taking effect from a Price Calculation Date of 10 October 2026.

The reduction lands on every listed container type in the tariff — from 20-foot dry units through to 40-foot high-cube reefers — and covers three South Asian origin bands feeding West Coast South America, the Caribbean and Central America. Maersk's filing states the surcharge "will decrease by US$500 across all listed container types" from the new calculation date.

What does the new ECS tariff look like?

Maersk's revised ECS per box, by origin and equipment type:

• Northwest India and Pakistan (Mundra, Jawaharlal Nehru, Hazira, Pipavav)
  • 20-foot dry: US$3,250
  • 40-foot dry, high-cube and 45-foot: US$3,050
  • 40-foot high-cube reefer: US$3,450
• South and East India (Ennore, Chennai, Kattupalli, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Cochin, Mangalore, Haldia)
  • 20-foot dry: US$3,450
  • 40-foot dry, high-cube and 45-foot: US$3,450
  • 40-foot high-cube reefer: US$4,050
• Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives
  • 20-foot dry: US$2,350
  • 40-foot dry, high-cube and 45-foot: US$2,150
  • 40-foot high-cube reefer: US$3,950

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives remain the cheapest origin band in absolute ECS terms, while the 40-foot high-cube reefer out of South and East India stands as the most expensive equipment-origin combination at US$4,050.

Which lanes and ports does the cut cover?

The reduction applies across Maersk's West Coast of Latin America destinations — West Coast South America, the Caribbean and Central America — grouped under the B1S service code.

Origin coverage splits the South Asian hinterland into three pricing bands. Northwest India and Pakistan draw from the Gujarat and Maharashtra hub ports of Mundra, Jawaharlal Nehru (JNPT), Hazira and Pipavav. South and East India aggregates nine terminals — Ennore, Chennai, Kattupalli, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Cochin, Mangalore and Haldia.

What equipment is included?

The US$500 reduction applies to out-of-gauge (OOG), shipper-owned (SOC) and non-operating reefer (NOR) containers alongside the standard dry and reefer fleet. Rates for 40-foot flat racks, open tops and NOR equipment will match those published for 40-foot dry containers, keeping special-equipment pricing anchored to the standard 40-foot benchmark.

When does the change bite?

The cut takes effect from a Price Calculation Date of 10 October 2026, meaning bookings under that PCD will see the new ECS on invoices. The revised filing remains subject to applicable regulatory approvals and notice periods in the origin countries served.

Shippers and NVOCCs running refrigerated cargo on the West Coast South America corridor will record the largest absolute savings — US$500 off a reefer box that still hovers near US$4,000 from South and East India. Bangladesh-origin dry loads into Central America also see a meaningful slice trimmed from already tight containerised budgets.

As B1S contract cycles roll into the autumn re-booking window, BCO procurement teams should expect Maersk to issue revised quotation sheets reflecting the lower ECS once remaining regulatory clearances land in the origin states.