MSC has fixed new Freight All Kinds rates from all Far East ports to North Europe at US$3,150 per 20-foot container and US$4,500 per 40-foot dry and high cube box, effective 19 October 2026.

The Swiss-Italian carrier published the tariff window on Monday. It runs until further notice, but no later than 31 October 2026 — a roughly two-week validity that signals MSC expects market conditions to keep shifting into November.

The origin scope covers every Far East port, including Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia. That breadth matters for shippers routing regional consolidation cargo through hubs such as Busan, Shanghai and Singapore: the same FAK levels apply regardless of the Asian load port.

The destination tiering is steep. West Mediterranean and Adriatic boxes cost US$3,750/TEU and US$4,500/FEU. East Mediterranean rates step up to US$3,800/TEU and US$4,800/FEU. Black Sea cargo tops the core European table at US$3,900/TEU and US$5,000/FEU.

North African destinations carry a separate, much higher bracket. Algeria sits at US$5,550/TEU and US$6,900/FEU. Libya is priced at US$5,500/TEU and US$6,500/FEU, Tunisia mirrors Algeria's TEU level at US$5,550 with US$6,500 per FEU, and Morocco via Casablanca comes in at US$4,550/TEU and US$5,500/FEU.

The figures are base port-to-base rates. Cargo moving through outports remains subject to MSC's Transport Additional Origin and Destination charges, so shippers booking secondary ports should expect the effective cost to land above the headline numbers.

What the rates include

The FAK levels bundle the ocean freight charge with three surcharges. A Global Fuel Surcharge of US$253 per TEU applies for October 2026. An Emission Control Area surcharge of US$15 per TEU covers Mediterranean and selected North European destinations, rising to US$52 per TEU for other Nordic and Baltic destinations.

Several further charges may stack on top. A Carbon Limitation Surcharge of US$20 per TEU can apply. Carbon Review Surcharges reach US$88 per TEU for North Europe and US$128 per TEU for the Mediterranean. Services transiting the Suez Canal can attract a Piracy Risk Surcharge of US$55 per TEU and a Suez Canal Surcharge of US$36 per TEU.

The combined effect is material. A 40-foot box to North Europe paying the full stack of optional carbon and canal charges could see effective costs rise well above the US$4,500 base — a gap forwarders will need to model when quoting Asian import business.

The FAK rates exclude IMO-classified and high-value commodities. Terminal handling and other applicable charges may also apply.

Commercial read-through

For shippers, the short validity window means contract quotes tied to these FAK levels hold only through end-October. Any cargo rolling into November faces repricing risk. BCOs with flexibility to advance shipments into the window can lock the published levels; those who cannot should budget for volatility.

For forwarders, the bundled surcharge structure simplifies spot quoting on the base lanes but complicates North African and East Mediterranean business, where the gap between headline FAK and loaded cost is widest.

MSC's decision to publish a dated FAK revision rather than an open-ended tariff mirrors the way carriers managed the Asia–Europe lane through 2024 and 2025, when capacity and routing shifts forced successive resets. The 31 October expiry gives the carrier an exit point to reprice for the winter season, when Asia–Europe demand typically softens and carriers adjust capacity accordingly.