MSC surcharges, rate hikes loom

MSC surcharges, rate hikes loom    Liner carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. said it will impose peak season surcharges on shipments from Asia to South Africa and from Southeast Asia to Australia in the coming weeks.
   The Asia-South Africa surcharge, to be assessed from Aug. 15, is $150 per 20-foot container and $300 per 40-foot or 40-foot high cube container.
   The Southeast Asia/Australia surcharge, to be assessed from Sept. 1, is $300 per TEU, and is applicable to the line's Capricorn service. That loop, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, has a rotation of Singapore, Jakarta, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney, Bluff, Port Chalmers, Lyttleton, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Brisbane and Singapore.
   Meanwhile, MSC said on Sept. 1 it also plans to raise rates by $150 per TEU on the eastbound trade from northern Europe to the Indian Subcontinent, and by $600 per TEU from Asia to the West Coast of South America.