Several international container lines, such as APL, CMA CGM, NYK, Mediterranean Shipping Company and Hapag-Lloyd, are considering slapping congestion surcharge at the Jawaharlal Nehru port, according to shipping industry sources.
The proposed levy, due to come into force from August 7, will be at the rates of $60/TEU, $120/FEU and $155 per 45-ft high cube container, it is learnt.
“Owing to berth congestion, movement restriction and the consequent additional transportation costs, we are compelled to impose an emergency surcharge on all shipments from intra-Asia origins for discharge at Nhava Sheva”, APL India has stated in a statement.
The surcharge will cover any service schedule disruptions and the resultant additional costs, it is learnt.
The congestion is believed to have been caused by several factors such as old equipment, weak infrastructure and strained industrial relations.
Meanwhile, as the sources point out, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Chile's Compania Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV) have announced the launching of a jointly operated service between India and Europe from August. This follows CSAV's suspension of its own IMEX (India-Middle East-Europe Express) service.
The proposed service will deploy seven vessels of 6500-TEU each with MSC providing five and CSAV two. The port rotation will be: JNPT-Pipavav-Mundra-Salalah-Jedda-Gio Tauro-Valencia-Bremerhaven-Antwerp-Felixstowe-Salalah-JNPT, the sources add.