Transpacific carriers raise fuel charges

Transpacific carriers raise fuel charges    Shippers are facing higher bunker surcharges on their freight costs in the transpacific container trade, after ocean carriers agreed to pass on the increases in their fuel expenses to users.
   The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, which includes most of the large container carriers in the Asia-to-U.S. trade, adopted a joint recommendation to raise its bunker charge from $185 to $230 per 40-foot equivalent unit on April 1.
   This follows an identical recommendation made by the Canada Transpacific Stabilization and announced March 3 that its carriers would raise their bunker adjustment factors to $230 per 40-foot equivalent unit April 1.
   Carriers can apply the increases to shippers who do not have an all-in price agreement in their service contracts or who operate under tariff rates.
   Meanwhile, the Far Eastern Freight Conference of Asia/Europe shipping lines raised its bunker surcharge from $74 per TEU in February to $84 in March, and kept the surcharge at that level for April.