What moves your costs, your transit times and your cargo today.

THE DAY IN 30 SECONDS

• Maersk will apply a US$400 surcharge from 19 October to 20-foot containers above 25 tonnes bound for Germany and Poland.
• The ClarkSea index rose 14% to US$75,658 per day, driven by tankers, diversions and transhipment operations in the Middle East.
• The United States has opened consultations until 12 January ahead of the 2027 review of its trade agreement with Mexico and Canada.
• MSC has reportedly ordered another six 21,700 TEU container vessels, taking its programme at China’s Zhoushan Changhong shipyard to 30 units.
• Four carriers will remove Singapore from their joint service between Northeast Asia and India while retaining two calls at Port Klang.
• Maersk has extended demurrage free time from three to five days for dry and NOR containers at Durban Gateway Terminal.
• Busan and Singapore plan to connect their data platforms before year-end to improve port-call and berth planning.
• Croatia’s Bajakovo border crossing was reporting four-hour outbound truck waits, while diversions remain in place at other Balkan crossings.

⚖️ TARIFFS AND TRADE POLICY

United States prepares for 2027 USMCA review

The Office of the United States Trade Representative has opened the consultation process ahead of the 2027 joint review of the agreement with Mexico and Canada. Comments, requests to testify at the hearing and hearing testimony summaries must be submitted by 23:59 US Eastern Time on 12 January 2027.

Why it matters: The consultation does not yet change tariffs or rules of origin, but it opens the period in which companies and industry associations will seek to alter conditions for access to the North American market. Manufacturers in Mexico or Canada, and companies using components from those countries to sell into the United States, face an opportunity to document the rules of origin, certifications and border procedures generating costs.

What to watch: The date of the public hearing and specific proposals affecting automotive, food, steel and manufacturing sectors.

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📊 FREIGHT RATES AND MARKET SIGNALS

Maersk lowers heavy-load surcharge threshold to 25 tonnes

The figure: US$400 per 20-foot container with a VGM above 25 tonnes from 19 October 2026

Why it matters: The change affects shipments from the Far East to Germany and Poland and expands the number of containers subject to the Heavy Load Surcharge. Under FOB or FCA, the cost will normally fall on the buyer arranging carriage; under CIF, CIP or DDP, the seller will initially bear it and may pass it into the price. The expected VGM therefore becomes relevant before booking, alongside the cost of splitting the cargo.

• The surcharge applies to all 20-foot equipment types when VGM exceeds 25 tonnes.
• For other Northern European destinations, the threshold remains above 28 tonnes.
• The relevant date is the 19 October Price Calculation Date, not necessarily the vessel’s physical departure date.

What to watch: A possible extension of the 25-tonne threshold to other European destinations.

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ClarkSea rises 14% to its fourth record

The figure: US$75,658 per day in the latest reading of Clarksons’ cross-sector index

Why it matters: The movement is driven mainly by tankers, but confirms that diversions, transhipments and longer voyages are absorbing capacity across several segments. The pressure may feed into fuel costs, charter contracts and energy-intensive goods. Longer-validity quotations face greater cost uncertainty, particularly where freight, fuel and surcharges are not separated.

• The index has gained 73% in one month, while its 2026 average is 66% above the previous year.
• VLCCs reached around US$660,000 per day and suezmaxes an approximate record of US$630,000 per day.
• Xeneta puts Far East-US West Coast spot rates at US$8,346 per FEU and rates to the East Coast at US$11,523.

What to watch: The recovery of traffic through Hormuz and the duration of transhipment operations between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

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