Sea Star, Bernuth plans fuel charge hikes

Sea Star, Bernuth plans fuel charge hikes Citing rapidly increasing prices for bunker fuel, Sea Star Line and Bernuth Lines said in separate statements Tuesday they will be implementing new increases in fuel surcharges.
   Sea Star Line had announced fuel surcharge increases in October for its services to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The $93 increase to $511 a ton had just taken effect Sunday. But due to unusually sharp price hikes for its bunker fuel, it said it was forced into a further fuel surcharge increase, effective Nov. 25.
   Sea Star said the surcharge for its Puerto Rico services from Jacksonville and Port Everglades would increase to $470 for 20-foot containers, $520 for 40- and 45-foot containers, and $570 for 48- and 53-foot containers. That is up from the Nov. 11 rates of $410, $455, and $495, respectively. Sea Star customers shipping over Port Elizabeth, N.J., and Houston would see increases from $475 to $560 for 40- and 45-foot containers.
   Sea Star's bunker surcharge for service between its Florida and Puerto Rico ports and the U.S. Virgin Islands would increase from $450 to $510 for 20-foot containers, from $495 to $560 for 40- and 45-foot containers, and from $535 to $610 for 48-foot and 53-foot containers. Between Port Elizabeth or Houston and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the charge would increase from $515 to $600 for 40- and 45-foot containers.
   For its Eastern Caribbean services, Sea Star's charge from Florida or Puerto Rico will increase in two increments. The first will be the previously announced increase, to $450, set to take effect Nov. 25. Then, effective Dec. 16, the surcharges will raise to $510 per 20-foot container. For 40- and 45-foot containers, the charge will go from $460 to $495 on Nov. 25, then to $560 Dec. 16. For 48- and 53-foot containers, the charge will go from $495 to $535, then to $610.
   For Port Elizabeth and Houston, the Eastern Caribbean surcharges will go from $470 to $515, then to $600.
   Miami-based Bernuth Lines, meanwhile, said effective Dec. 9, the fuel surcharge will increase to $300 (from $258) for 20-foot containers, to $584 (from $500) for 40-foot containers, and to $661 ($566) for equipment more than 40 feet.
   The charges apply to Bernuth freight moving between the United States and the Caribbean destinations of Anguilla, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts and St. Lucia.