Nigerian Importers Face ₦190.5 Billion Peak Season Surcharge As Maersk, CMA CGM Hike Freight Charges
By FRED LONGJOHN OBEH
AS the yuletide shipping rush begins, Nigerian importers are set to bear a fresh ₦190.5 billion ($127 million) cost burden following the introduction of new Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) by global shipping giants Maersk Line and CMA CGM.
The two leading carriers, which jointly handle about 680,000 containers bound for Nigeria annually, announced the surcharges to cover what they described as “rising operational costs” and “seasonal demand pressures.”
Maersk Line, which ships roughly 500,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) to Nigeria each year, said the surcharge—effective November 2025—would apply to cargo originating from West African ports to Bangladesh. The charge is pegged at $125 per container for both dry and reefer shipments.
The company explained that the surcharge aims to sustain service reliability and operational efficiency during high-demand periods. It added that the PSS will apply to both spot and non-spot bookings, with the relevant rate determined at the time of booking confirmation.
Similarly, CMA CGM announced that from 1 November 2025, importers will pay $200 per container on reefer cargo exported from Mauritania and the Far East to Apapa Port and other West African destinations. The surcharge, the company said, reflects “increased logistical costs and capacity constraints.”
CMA CGM further noted that an additional $300 per container PSS will apply to shipments bound for Apapa, Côte d’Ivoire, Republic of Congo, and Benin Republic, while a $200 surcharge will apply to cargo moving from China and other Far East origins to West Africa.
Both liners said the adjustments form part of their routine peak-season pricing policies aimed at maintaining service stability. They also indicated that standard freight components—including terminal handling, documentation, and risk surcharges—will remain applicable.
The development has reignited concerns among stakeholders over arbitrary shipping charges. The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah, recently urged greater transparency and fair competition within the shipping sector.
Speaking at a regional meeting of the Union of African Shippers’ Councils (UASC) in Lagos, Akutah called for stronger collaboration among African nations to tackle surcharges that undermine trade competitiveness and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He noted that addressing such practices is critical to unlocking the continent’s combined market of over 1.4 billion people and a GDP exceeding $3 trillion.
