多家船公司上调附加费，涨幅最高达56%

The Port of Hamburg handled 8.3 million TEUs in 2022. Affected by the continuous decline in water levels at Lake Gatun, the Panama Canal Authority has recently further tightened draft restrictions for large vessels.

To cope with rising transit costs, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and MSC have successively announced the imposition or increase of related surcharges on cargo transported via the Panama Canal to North America.

CMA CGM: Increased to USD 500/TEU, a Rise of Approximately 56%

CMA CGM announced that effective September 10, the Panama Canal Adjustment Fee for cargo shipped from the Far East to the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico via the Panama Canal will be raised to USD 500/TEU. Compared to the previous rate of USD 320/TEU, this represents an increase of USD 180 per TEU, or approximately 56%.

Hapag-Lloyd: Additional Surcharge of USD 130/TEU

Hapag-Lloyd announced that effective August 15, a Panama Canal Surcharge will be levied on cargo shipped from the Far East to North America via the Panama Canal, at a rate of USD 130/TEU.

MSC: Up to USD 376 per Container

MSC announced that effective September 12, the Panama Canal Surcharge will be increased for cargo shipped from Southeast Asia, China, South Korea, and Japan to the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. The adjusted rates are as follows: USD 149 per 20-foot container, USD 297 per 40-foot container, and USD 376 per 45-foot container. Compared to the previous standard of USD 100/TEU, this represents an increase of USD 49 per TEU, or approximately 49%.

Canal Congestion Intensifies, Transit Slot Auction Prices Hit New Record Highs

Affected by transit restrictions and increased demand, vessel queuing at both ends of the Panama Canal has continued to worsen. Data shows that waiting times for Neopanamax vessels without prior reservations have risen to approximately 10 days in certain directions, with the number of queued vessels at both ends of the canal once exceeding 100. Following the increased shipping risks in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, some energy carriers and vessels on other routes have diverted to the Panama Canal, further driving up demand for transit slots.

According to foreign media reports, the owner of the SEASPAN BENEFACTOR, a container vessel of approximately 10,100 TEU operated by ONE, secured priority transit rights through the Panama Canal by paying approximately USD 4 million at auction, setting a new recent record for "slot auction" fees. Data from the Panama Canal Authority shows that in the first half of fiscal year 2026, cumulative canal transits reached 6,288 vessel transits, an increase of 3.7% year-on-year, with peak daily transit volumes exceeding 40 vessel transits on certain days.

Reminder

As transit restrictions at the Panama Canal continue to tighten and surcharges are frequently adjusted, shippers and freight forwarders are advised to closely monitor the latest freight rate changes, promptly check sailing schedules and rate information, plan cargo transportation arrangements in advance, and reasonably control logistics costs.

Faced with the current situation of rising canal surcharges and continuously increasing transit costs, shippers' bargaining power on the freight rate side has become increasingly limited. When flexibility on the cost side is compressed, the stability and accuracy of customs declaration procedures become critical to ensuring smooth cargo shipment and avoiding additional losses—errors in declarations can lead to, at best, returned documents and delays, or, at worst, direct cargo rolling due to tight sailing schedules, resulting in losses that far outweigh the gains.