Maersk Revises Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) for Far East Asia–Latin America Trade

Maersk has announced revised Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) levels for cargo moving from Far East Asia to multiple destinations across Latin America.

According to the latest advisory, following a reduction in PSS on selected trade lanes at the beginning of August, the carrier will increase the surcharge again in the second half of the month. The adjustment covers shipments to Mexico, the West Coast of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

PSS Adjustment for Mexico, the West Coast of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean

Effective 22 August 2026, Maersk will implement new PSS rates for cargo moving from Far East Asia to Mexico, the West Coast of South America (WCSA), Central America, and the Caribbean, excluding Puerto Rico and Colombia.

The revised surcharge will be:

●    USD 1,000 per 20-foot container

●    USD 2,000 per 40-foot container

For Puerto Rico and Colombia, the revised PSS will take effect on 4 September 2026 and will remain in force until further notice.

Higher PSS for the East Coast of South America

Maersk has also revised the PSS for shipments from Far East Asia to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

he new surcharge will take effect on 20 August 2026, while cargo originating from South Korea will be subject to the revised rates from 22 August 2026.

The updated surcharge schedule is as follows:

●    20-foot dry container: USD 1,000

●    40-foot dry container: USD 2,000

●    45-foot High Cube dry container: USD 2,000

●    20-foot reefer container: USD 1,000

●    40-foot High Cube reefer container: USD 2,000

The adjustment applies to cargo originating from Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Increase Compared with Early August

Before introducing the revised rates, Maersk had reduced the PSS on services to Mexico, the West Coast of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean effective 3 August 2026 (or 14 August 2026 for cargo originating from South Korea). Puerto Rico was not included in that earlier reduction.

The previous PSS levels were:

●    USD 750 for 20-foot dry and 20-foot reefer containers

●    USD 1,500 for 40-foot dry, 45-foot High Cube dry, and 40-foot High Cube reefer containers

Compared with the early-August rates, the revised tariff represents an increase of USD 250 per 20-foot container and USD 500 per 40-foot container.

Scope of Application

The PSS (C1E) notices apply to cargo originating from Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The surcharge applies to the following equipment types:

●    Dry containers

●    High Cube dry containers

●    Reefer containers

●    High Cube reefer containers

In addition, the surcharge also applies to selected specialized equipment, including bulk containers, flat racks, open-top containers, tank containers, twin-deck containers, collapsible flat racks, hive containers, and pallet-wide containers.

PSS Effective Date Rules

The revised PSS applies to non-SPOT bookings.

Maersk determines the effective date of the surcharge as follows:

●    For non-FMC shipments: The applicable PSS is based on the scheduled departure date of the first ocean voyage, as stated in the booking confirmation.

●    For FMC-regulated shipments: The applicable PSS is determined by the date on which the final container in the shipment is gated into the port terminal.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Container News)

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