MSC to add inland pickup charge for Midwest exports
Liner carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. said Thursday it will begin charging a container fee for export equipment picked up at some U.S. Midwest depots, as well as other U.S. locations, from Nov. 1.
The new fees, applicable to export pickups only, will be $100 per TEU and $150 per FEU. The carrier didn’t specify what the “other U.S. locations” outside of the Midwest would be.
Equipment imbalances for U.S. exports have been a major problem for liner carriers this year, as weak U.S. import demand has shrunk the supply of boxes from which exporters can secure equipment for their outbound shipments.
Also, extremely low freight rates have hurt carriers' bottom line, making them reticent to take on the extra costs of retrieving export loads from inland points that aren't import destinations.
MSC to add inland pickup charge for Midwest exports
