Maersk will introduce an $800 Heavy Weight Surcharge (HWS) on 40-foot containers moving from Far East Asia to selected Middle East markets when the container’s verified gross mass (VGM) exceeds 20 metric tons.
The surcharge will apply from the price calculation date of October 5, 2026, and will cover contractual bookings destined for the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.
The Far East origin markets covered under the new surcharge include Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Cambodia, Mongolia, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
For non-instant bookings outside trades regulated by the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the applicable price calculation date will be the scheduled departure date of the first ocean leg at the time the booking is confirmed. For FMC-regulated shipments, the price calculation date will be the date on which the final container enters the port.
Maersk Revises Heavy Weight Threshold for Northern Europe
Maersk has also revised the weight threshold for its Heavy Weight Surcharge on all 20-foot container types moving from the Far East to Northern Europe.
Effective from the price calculation date of September 30, 2026, containers with a VGM above 28 metric tons will attract a $400 surcharge.
The changes form part of Maersk’s pricing measures for handling heavier containers across selected trade lanes, with the applicable surcharge determined by the container’s verified gross mass and booking conditions.