Maersk will raise its Import and Export Fuel Surcharge for US inland haulage from US$140 to US$215 per container — a 54% increase — effective 1 November 2026.

The adjustment applies to shipments moved under a Maersk ocean bill of lading where the carrier also arranges trucking to or from the customer's door within the United States. The revised charge takes effect for shipments with a Price Calculation Date on or after 1 November 2026, and will show separately on the bill of lading under the IFS or EFS code.

Why is Maersk raising the surcharge?

The carrier attributed the move to rising US diesel prices. Maersk said the 13-week average diesel price increased by more than US$0.10 per gallon, adding cost pressure across its inland operations — linehaul, drayage, depot handling and first-mile transportation.

For shippers, the mechanics matter. The surcharge follows Maersk's indexed formula rather than spot diesel moves, which means the trigger has already been met and the new level locks in for the quarter ahead. Importers and exporters using Maersk's door delivery product will see the higher line item from November, with no transitional phase-in indicated in the notice.

What does this mean for shippers and forwarders?

The commercial consequences are straightforward:

• Door-move customers face a US$75 increase per container on every import or export that includes Maersk-arranged trucking in the US.
• High-volume lane exposure compounds quickly: a shipper moving 100 containers a month through Maersk door service will absorb US$7,500 in additional monthly surcharge cost from November.
• Forwarders and BCOs comparing routings now have a wider gap between carrier door delivery and independently arranged drayage — a US$215 per box charge strengthens the case for merchant's haulage where trucking capacity allows.
• Landed-cost calculations for Q4 2026 and 2027 budgets need updating now, since the IFS/EFS line will appear on every eligible bill of lading.

For Maersk, the increase protects inland margin against fuel input costs the carrier says it can no longer absorb. Whether competing carriers follow with their own inland fuel adjustments will test whether this is a Maersk-specific cost position or the start of a broader repricing of door services in the US market.

How does the charge work in practice?

The surcharge applies only when two conditions are met: the shipment moves under a Maersk ocean bill of lading, and Maersk arranges the inland trucking leg to or from the customer's door in the US. Shipments where the customer controls the inland move are unaffected.

The Price Calculation Date governs eligibility — cargo priced on or after 1 November 2026 picks up the new rate, while earlier-priced shipments retain the current US$140 level. The charge appears as a separate line under the IFS (import) or EFS (export) code, keeping it visible and auditable on documentation.

Shippers with open price calculations straddling the November boundary should check which side of the date their cargo falls on, particularly for bookings priced in late October that could shift cost depending on timing.

What comes next?

The trajectory depends on diesel. If the 13-week average keeps climbing, further indexed adjustments — in either direction — are built into the mechanism, and Maersk's move sets a reference point other carriers with US door products are likely to watch closely.