GENEVA, Mar 5 – Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said it will impose a war risk surcharge on cargo shipments to several African destinations and Indian Ocean islands after disruptions to maritime traffic in key Middle East shipping lanes.
The company said the surcharge takes effect Thursday and applies to cargo moving from the Indian subcontinent and Gulf countries to markets in West, East and Southern Africa, including Somalia, Mozambique and several Indian Ocean islands. The move follows security concerns affecting vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
MSC said shipments from the Indian subcontinent will attract a surcharge of 500 dollars per 20 foot equivalent unit for dry containers and 1,000 dollars per unit for refrigerated cargo. For shipments departing Gulf countries, the company will charge 2,000 dollars for 20 foot containers, 3,000 dollars for 40 foot containers and 4,000 dollars for refrigerated containers.
