Liner carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. last week advised its customers of severe congestion in the Port of Algiers in Algeria due to a strike at the DP World-operated container terminal there.
The line said the nearly two-month-old strike has resulted in ships taking as long as one month to be unloaded. MSC said it has started assessing a $180 congestion surcharge from Sept. 1 on shipments from Europe to Algiers. The surcharge is not applicable to other Algerian ports.
'Even if the situation seems to be now solved, it will (take) quite a long time to absorb the backlog of ships,' the carrier said in a statement.
Separately, MSC said it will impose a $250-per-TEU peak season surcharge on shipments from Asia to New Zealand beginning Sept. 15. The fee is applicable from all Asian ports to all ports in New Zealand.
Additionally, MSC said it will assess a bunker surcharge on shipments from northern Europe and the Mediterranean to the West Coast of South America and Central America, starting Oct. 1
The bunker fees will be:
' $410 per TEU and $485 per reefer TEU from northern Europe and the Mediterranean to the West Coast of South America.
' $430 per TEU and $500 per reefer TEU from northern Europe and the Mediterranean to Central America and Venezuela.
' $620 per TEU and $720 per reefer TEU from the West Coast of South America to northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
' $490 per TEU and $560 per reefer TEU from Central America and Venezuela to northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
MSC plans fees on multiple trades
MSC plans fees on multiple trades