Maersk will apply its US$400 Heavy Load Surcharge (HLS) to all 20-foot container types with a Verified Gross Mass above 25 metric tonnes on shipments from Far East Asia to Germany and Poland, three tonnes below the 28-tonne trigger the carrier keeps in place for other North European destinations.

The revised trigger takes effect from a Price Calculation Date of 19 October 2026. It follows, by roughly three weeks, the same carrier's switch of the rest of the North Europe range to a 20-foot, 28-tonne structure on 30 September 2026.

What does the surcharge cover?

For shipments booked from Far East Asia to Germany and Poland, every 20-foot dry, reefer or special equipment unit carrying more than 25 tonnes of payload and container weight will incur the US$400 fee. The carrier's published notice does not state a different surcharge level for cargoes above any higher weight band.

For all other North European destinations — including the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Nordic range — the trigger stays at more than 28 metric tonnes, with the same US$400 levy attached. The surcharge amount itself does not change.

Why are Germany and Poland singled out?

The carrier's published notice does not explain the country-level split. The result is that the same 20-foot box, at the same weight, attracts the surcharge on a Hamburg or Gdańsk delivery yet sails surcharge-free to Rotterdam or Antwerp until Maersk unifies the triggers.

What it means for shippers and forwarders

Exporters in the Far East sourcing base moving cargoes in the 25–28-tonne VGM band now face a per-box levy on German and Polish deliveries that was not previously applied at that weight band on those country pairs. Heavy industrial, steel and project cargoes that commonly sit inside the 25–28-tonne corridor are the segments most exposed to the change.

Forwarders booking 20-foot equipment on these trades will need to refresh their cost calculators from mid-October, adding a fixed US$400 line item to any shipment that tips over the new 25-tonne limit. Buyers with annual procurement contracts that lock freight rates at the box level will see margin compression unless contracts contain surcharge passthrough clauses.

Shippers with equipment choice can mitigate exposure by consolidating into 40-foot containers, which sit outside the 20-foot surcharge scope, or by re-engineering packaging to drop below 25 tonnes per 20-foot unit.

When does the change bite?

The Price Calculation Date governs the booking date on which Maersk applies the revised rule, not the vessel departure date. Cargo booked on or after 19 October 2026 for Germany or Poland will be charged under the new 25-tonne trigger. Bookings made before that date, even on later sailings, follow the existing matrix.

The earlier 30 September 2026 effective date for the rest of North Europe means the rest of the region moves first, with Germany and Poland following three weeks later under a tighter threshold.

What should shippers track next?

Maersk's surcharge structure now diverges across two tiers: 28 tonnes for most of North Europe and 25 tonnes for Germany and Poland. Shippers on the affected German and Polish lanes should expect the lower 25-tonne trigger to define the cost base for 20-foot heavy-load bookings made on or after 19 October 2026, with the rest of the North Europe range priced off the 28-tonne band from 30 September 2026.