Maersk Increases Fuel Fees and Contingency Surcharges Across Multiple Routes

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A.P. Moller – Maersk has officially updated its intermodal fuel fee structures for the United Kingdom and Ireland, following a broader regional trend of rising energy costs. This adjustment, driven by global fuel price volatility and security concerns in the Middle East, impacts landside and intermodal transportation costs for shippers.

Energy Volatility and the Strait of Hormuz Impact

The global logistics landscape is currently navigating an environment defined by significant energy price spikes. According to corporate disclosures from Maersk, approximately 20% of the world’s fuel supply transits through the Strait of Hormuz. Recent security developments in this region have created an unprecedented cost environment for carriers, forcing a reassessment of landside and intermodal operations.

Maersk has simultaneously implemented an Emergency Contingency Surcharge (ECS) of US$500 per container on routes connecting South Asia to the United Arab Emirates and across various Middle East–Africa corridors.

Operational Adjustments in European Markets

The fee updates in the UK and Ireland follow a similar pattern observed recently in Poland. Maersk has transitioned to a bi-weekly review cycle for its Intermodal Fuel Fee (EFS/IFS) to account for the rapid fluctuation in energy markets. For shippers operating in these jurisdictions, the price calculation date—which determines the applicable surcharge—now relies on the Estimated Time of Departure (ETD) of the first vessel for non-FMC shipments.

Infrastructure and Economic Consequences

Mitigating Risk in a Fluctuating Market

To maintain operational integrity, shippers must now account for multiple variables: the standard ocean freight rate, the Emergency Contingency Surcharge, and the fluctuating Intermodal Fuel Fee.

As geopolitical tensions continue to influence the cost of fuel transit, the necessity for agile, data-driven logistics management remains at an all-time high.