Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced an update to its container freight rates for shipments from the Far East to Europe, introducing new Freight All Kinds (FAK) levels effective from 15 January 2026. The revised rates will remain valid until 31 January 2026, unless further amended.
According to a customer advisory issued by MSC, the updated FAK rates apply to cargo moving from Far East base ports to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean region—including the Adriatic and North Africa—as well as the Black Sea. Shipments originating from non-base ports will continue to attract the applicable surcharges.
For Northern Europe, MSC has set a benchmark rate of USD 2,400 per 20-foot container and USD 4,000 per 40-foot container. Higher rate levels apply across the Mediterranean and Adriatic, where FAK rates increase to approximately USD 4,000 for a 20-foot container and USD 5,700 for a 40-foot container. All rates are quoted in US dollars and apply on a base port–to–base port basis, excluding ancillary and local charges.
The announcement comes amid renewed upward pressure on Asia–Europe freight rates, a trend also reflected in similar rate adjustments recently announced by other major ocean carriers operating on the same trade lanes, according to international shipping and logistics sources.
MSC clarified that the revised tariffs apply exclusively to FAK cargo and do not affect existing long-term contractual agreements.
For European shippers and logistics operators—particularly those serving Mediterranean and Adriatic ports—the rate revision underscores a period of heightened transport cost volatility at the start of 2026, with potential implications for shipment planning, pricing strategies, and overall supply chain margins.