Industry related headlines to keep you in the know.
CMA CGM applies a Peak Season Surcharge of €100 per TEU on reefer shipments into West Africa from today, 1 September 2026, alongside a separate port congestion surcharge for reefer cargo moving to Tema in Ghana that has been in force since 25 August.
Shipping and Logistics
1 September 2026 • 3 min read
Two separate reefer charges are now live on Africa-bound trades — a seasonal peak surcharge and a congestion surcharge tied to a single terminal's reefer yard. Neither shows up in a base freight quote, and both land on the cargo owner.
From 1 September 2026, CMA CGM applies a Peak Season Surcharge of €100 per TEU on reefer shipments to West Africa. The surcharge covers cargo originating in North Europe, the Baltic, Scandinavia, the West Mediterranean and the Adriatic, and settlement follows the freight payment terms on the booking.
Separately, the carrier introduced a Port Congestion Surcharge for reefer cargo moving to Tema, Ghana, citing congestion in the port's reefer yard. From North Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic, the Adriatic, the West and East Mediterranean, the Black Sea and North Africa, the charge is €100 or US$115 per TEU. From all other origins it is US$400 per TEU. That charge took effect on 25 August 2026, with a 20 September start date for the United States, US territories, Australia and Latin American countries subject to filing.
Stacked cost: A reefer box moving from a covered European origin to a West African port under both measures can carry roughly €200 per TEU in new surcharges before bunker, terminal handling, security and local charges are added. (Source: Container News, 2026)
The Tema measure is a useful example of how terminal-level constraints get converted into trade-level pricing. The stated cause is congestion in one reefer yard — plug availability, stacking space and dwell — but the charge is applied by origin region and by box, regardless of whether a specific consignment actually waits.
The same announcement includes an Inland Emergency Fee on European river barge routings through Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam, triggered by low Rhine water levels, at €50 per container for Belgian and Dutch destinations and €75 per TEU for Germany, Switzerland and France. Different cause, identical mechanism: an operational disruption becomes a line item.
These specific surcharges are not levied on Southern African ports, but the precedent travels. Reefer yard capacity is the binding constraint at several SADC terminals during peak agricultural windows, and the industry has already seen congestion charges applied on African trades when dwell rises. Operators quoting reefer movements out of Walvis Bay, Durban, Cape Town, Beira or Maputo should assume that sustained yard congestion is now routinely priced rather than absorbed.
There is a practical read-across too. Surcharges of this kind are typically announced with three to four weeks of notice, are quoted per TEU rather than per shipment, and are governed by the freight payment terms already on the booking. A freight forwarder who quotes all-in without a surcharge review clause absorbs the difference.
Check every open reefer booking against the effective dates rather than the booking date, because these charges apply on loading or discharge, not on when the rate was agreed. Build a surcharge pass-through clause into reefer quotations naming PSS and PCS explicitly, and monitor carrier surcharge notices for your own trade lanes weekly during the export season — the notice period is short and the charge is per box, so a delayed reaction on a 20-box programme is real money.
Stay connected with Southern Africa's freight and transport community.
Join 6,400+ logistics professionals across the SADC region.
Visit Laaimylorrie.com| About the Author | |
|
Andre Klynsmith Entrepreneur & Technology Enthusiast Andre's expertise spans technology, blockchain, transport, and logistics — with a passion for innovation and driving positive change across industries. |
| Source: Container News View source › | 24 August 2026 |
Subscribe to our Newsletter and stay in the know with all the latest Industry News, Products and Trends covering the whole of the SADC region.
KS Blockchain T/A Laaimylorrie.com . All Rights Reserved.
