Mærsk will apply a US$1,600 Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) on every 40-foot container moving from 16 Asian origins to five Indian ports on the F3W trade, effective 3 October 2026.

The revised charge also sets the 20-foot container at US$1,000 and the 45-foot high-cube dry box at US$1,600. South Korea-bound origins fall under a separate effective date of 6 October 2026.

What the surcharge covers

The PSS applies to containers discharged at Tuticorin, Kolkata, Haldia, Cochin and Mangalore. The origin scope stretches across China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Brunei, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Timor-Leste.

Mærsk's announcement says the surcharge will remain in place until further notice. The carrier has not disclosed any cap on duration or scheduled rate review.

What does the F3W designation mean here?

F3W is the carrier code used for the Asia-to-West Coast of India and Bay of Bengal trade, a regional lane distinct from the trans-Pacific or Asia-Europe corridors served by Mærsk's larger loops. The five destination ports sit across India's eastern and southern coastline, serving industrial hinterlands in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala.

How the charges compare by container size

The per-box structure slopes upward with box size in absolute dollars but is roughly flat per FEU-equivalent:

• 20-foot container: US$1,000
• 40-foot container: US$1,600
• 45-foot high-cube dry: US$1,600

A shipper running standard 40-foot boxes pays 60% more in surcharge than one running 20-foot equipment on the same lane.

Why this matters for shippers

The PSS layers onto already-quoted base ocean freight and Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) components. Cargo owners with annual contracts on the Asia-India route will see the surcharge passed through as an additional line item rather than absorbed into the base rate, depending on contract language.

Forwarders booking spot or short-term rates from Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai origins into Tuticorin and Cochin — both major hubs for textiles, engineering goods and foodstuff imports — will face a surcharge that, on a $1,500–$2,500 base rate band typical for the F3W, increases the all-in landed cost by roughly 25–50% per FEU.

What it signals for the 2026 peak

The October start date lands ahead of India's Diwali-driven retail and component import window, when shippers historically accelerate orders to clear customs before mid-November factory closures. A PSS activated two to three weeks before that demand spike is the standard pattern carriers use to manage capacity tightness.

How long will it last?

Mærsk's "until further notice" language leaves the duration open. Past PSS cycles on intra-Asia trades have ranged from eight weeks to more than four months, typically tied to sustained utilization above 90% on the affected strings. Without published removal criteria, shippers should plan the surcharge into Q4 2026 budgets and watch for a separate carrier notice announcing withdrawal.

The surcharges will accrue on every booking confirmed for the covered origins from the respective effective dates, with no stated transition window for existing bookings.