TRANSPACIFIC CARRIERS RAISE FRUIT RATES

TRANSPACIFIC CARRIERS RAISE FRUIT RATES    Container shipping lines in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said they will raise rates for citrus fruits and mixed loads of vegetables by $100 per 40-foot-container, effective July 1.
   The 13 WTSA lines also announced add-ons to previously established apple rates of $500 per FEU over South Asia rates for Vietnam, and $1,300 per FEU over South Asia rates from Cambodia. Those increases also start July 1.
   “Effective June 1, some shippers of melons will see increases in their service contract rates, as carriers establish a recommended guideline floor on rates that will vary from North Asia, South Asia, and mainland China. In all cases, the new rate levels will additionally be subject to applicable destination terminal handling, fuel, documentation, and rail-related charges,” WTSA said in a statement.
   WTSA said its members were seeking to “better recover the high costs of specialized refrigeration equipment and commodity handling … after more than a year of steadily falling freight rates.”