MSC announced it will enact emergency fuel surcharges on multiple key trades starting March 16, 2026. The company provided detailed per-container amounts for routes originating in Northern Europe and the Scanbaltic region that terminate in the Red Sea and East Africa, and it listed a broader set of affected corridors that will also carry emergency levies.
For cargo departing Northern Europe - including the UK and Scanbaltic region - MSC set the following emergency fuel surcharge levels:
- Northern Europe to the Red Sea: $85 per dry container and $125 per reefer container.
- Northern Europe to East Africa: $155 per dry container and $230 per reefer container.
The shipping line stated that shipments originating specifically from the Scanbaltic region will face higher charges on those same destinations:
- Scanbaltic to the Red Sea: $120 per dry container and $180 per reefer container.
- Scanbaltic to East Africa: $190 per dry container and $290 per reefer container.
MSC also identified a number of additional trades subject to emergency fuel surcharges. These include cargo moving from Southern Africa to Northwest Continent, the UK, Scanbaltic, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Far East, Bangladesh, South America and the Caribbean. The company did not publish per-container figures for all of these corridors within its announcement.
In its release MSC confirmed that an emergency fuel surcharge will apply to cargo moving from Asia to the United States and Canada; however, the statement did not disclose the specific surcharge amounts for that route.
For trade lanes linking Northern Europe and the Mediterranean to Australasia, MSC set explicit rates: $200 per dry container and $300 per reefer container for shipments to Australia and New Zealand.
MSC said that all cargo subject to the announced levies will be discharged and made available to cargo interests at the designated port. The company added that each emergency fuel surcharge will remain in place until further notice.
Context and implications
The announcement defines a set of fixed per-container surcharges for several clearly specified routes, while leaving at least one important lane - Asia to North America - without a published rate. MSC's statement that cargo will be discharged and made available at the designated port clarifies operational intent for affected shipments. The measures are described as emergency fuel surcharges and will remain active until the company issues further updates.