Maersk cuts west India-US peak surcharge to $3,850; east pays $4,200

Maersk charges US$3,850 a box from west India, below October's US$5,150, and US$4,200 from east and south India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives from 8 November.

By Divyansh Anand SinghAboutEditorial policyContactPublished 9 Nov 2026, 1:40 AM IST2 min readSource: Journal of Commerce

In 60 words

Maersk will charge US$3,850 per container on cargo from west India to US and Canadian East and Gulf coasts from 8 November 2026, below the US$5,150 set in October. Cargo from eastern and southern India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives pays US$4,200. Houston is excluded, and the charge does not apply to SPOT bookings.

Key points

Maersk set a US$3,850 per container peak season surcharge from Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Pipavav, Hazira, Nepal and Bhutan to US and Canadian East and Gulf ports from 8 November 2026¹.
Cargo from Chennai, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, Tuticorin, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives pays US$4,200 per box¹.
The west India level is below the US$5,150 Maersk set on 23 October, and Houston, previously US$5,700, is left out of the new notice^1, 2.
The charge applies to non-SPOT bookings, and FMC-regulated cargo is priced on the final container gate-in date¹.

Maersk has revised its peak season surcharge on Indian Subcontinent cargo bound for the US and Canadian East and Gulf coasts. Cargo priced from 8 November 2026 carries US$3,850 per container from west Indian ports, below the US$5,150 set in October, and US$4,200 from eastern and southern origins^1, 2.

The October notice also charged US$5,700 per container for Houston². Houston is outside the scope of the new notice¹. West coast cargo, set at US$3,400 in October, is not part of this revision^2, 1.

Two origin bands

The US$3,850 level covers Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Pipavav, Hazira, Nepal and Bhutan¹. The US$4,200 level covers Chennai, Ennore, Kolkata, Haldia, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, Kattupalli, Krishnapatnam and Tuticorin, plus Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives¹.

Maersk applies the same amount to 20-foot containers and to 40-foot, 40-foot high cube and 45-foot high cube boxes¹. The charge covers dry and reefer cargo at the same level¹. The October East and Gulf coast table listed dry container types only².

The surcharge applies to non-SPOT bookings only¹. Maersk prices them on a price calculation date. For cargo outside US Federal Maritime Commission rules, that date is the scheduled departure of the first ocean leg at booking confirmation. For FMC-regulated cargo, it is the final container gate-in date¹.

Rates on the lane fell sharply in October

Spot rates from India to the US East Coast fell by up to US$3,000 per FEU in the two to three weeks before 23 October. Carrier sources said booking activity had slowed through the month, the Journal of Commerce reported³.

Drewry also expects US import demand to weaken. It cited a National Retail Federation forecast of an 11% month-on-month fall in US ocean import volumes in November⁴.

Spot benchmarks are still high in absolute terms. Drewry's World Container Index was US$4,389 per 40ft on 5 November, down 1% week on week but 124% higher than a year earlier⁵. Shanghai to New York was US$9,303 per 40ft⁵. The index does not track India as an origin.

Maersk's notice did not state a reason for the change, and it gave no expiry date¹.

What to watch

Drewry expects transpacific rates to decline next week, with three blank sailings announced against five this week⁵. Xeneta expects spot rates to fall 30% over 2027 as services return to the Suez Canal. Its chief analyst Peter Sand said that with a full return "freight rates could plummet"⁶.

The question for shippers on this lane is whether other carriers match Maersk's levels, and whether east and south Indian origins keep the higher band.

What it means for procurement buyers

The charge is per container, at the same level for 20-foot and 40-foot boxes, so it lands on every box a buyer ships from India to the US and Canadian East and Gulf coasts¹. The west India level is below October's, but US$3,850 or US$4,200 per box is still a large addition to base freight on a lane where spot prices have been sliding^1, 3.

Origin now decides the level. West Indian gateways pay US$3,850, while eastern and southern ports, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives pay US$4,200¹. Check which band your load port falls into before comparing supplier quotes, and price the same lane with each carrier.

Maersk does not apply the charge to SPOT bookings¹. Non-SPOT bookings pay it, priced on the first ocean leg or, for FMC-regulated cargo, on final gate-in¹. For 2027 contracts, confirm whether the agreed rate is all-in or freight plus surcharges, and whether peak season charges are capped or passed through in full.

Houston is outside this notice, so buyers routing via Houston should ask for that level separately¹. Drewry expects transpacific rates to ease and Xeneta forecasts a 30% spot rate fall in 2027, which gives buyers room to test the market^5, 6. Xeneta's Peter Sand also said a renewed Red Sea deterioration would bring "upward pressure on rates"⁶. Run a competitive round, ask for fixed all-in pricing through the first quarter, and keep a second carrier approved.

Sources

1.Container News, Maersk revises PSS from Indian Subcontinent to North America - Container News, 8 November 2026. Accessed 9 November 2026.
2.Container News, Maersk revises North America PSS from Indian Subcontinent and Middle East - Container News, 25 October 2026. Accessed 9 November 2026.
3.Journal of Commerce, India-USEC spot rates on rapid retreat as carriers begin chasing cargo, 23 October 2026. Accessed 9 November 2026.
4.Container News, Container freight rates diverge as NYFI rises and Drewry WCI falls - Container News, 3 November 2026. Accessed 9 November 2026.
5.Drewry, World Container Index - 05 Nov. Accessed 9 November 2026.
6.The Loadstar, Calmer waters for container spot rates, but ‘fragile’ Middle East a threat, 6 November 2026. Accessed 9 November 2026.

How this story was made: published under Divyansh Anand Singh's byline, researched and drafted with AI tools working only from the sources listed above. Automated checks confirmed that every number and quote appears in those sources, and a separate AI fact-check compared the story with them before publication. Read our editorial policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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