Maersk Imposes Bunker Surcharge Amid West Asia Crisis

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) Integrated shipping and logistics company Maersk has decided to levy a temporary emergency bunker surcharge on new cargo bookings to ensure the cross-border movement of essential items amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

However, the surcharge is subject to regulatory approvals and will apply globally, including India, without exception from March 25, a company official said.

The evolving security situation in the Middle East continues to be challenging, impacting logistics and customer supply chains, the company official told PTI.

As of now, Maersk is not taking any bookings to and from the UAE, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. New bookings are being taken from, and to markets such as India and other non-affected countries in the far east, Europe, etc., the official said.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, the company official said that around 20 per cent of global fuel moves through the Strait of Hormuz, and the current situation surrounding the strait has significantly impacted global access to fuel.


The ongoing conflict has had a considerable impact on the international fuel market. As a result, many refineries within the region are either offline or operating at reduced capacity, and the export ability is very limited. This circumstance has led to substantial disruptions in global fuel supply chains.

"We have seen no other alternative than to implement a temporary Emergency Bunker Surcharge (EBS), which covers the impact of fuel availability, cost and mix outside of what is covered in our fossil fuel fee (FFF)," the official said.

Denmark-based Maersk is the world's second largest shipping company with a sizeable presence in India.

When asked about the quantum of EBS, the official said, "It will depend on the size (20 ft or 40 ft or 45 ft) and type (normal cargo or refrigerated cargo) of the container and direction of travel, the EBS will vary between 100 USD and 600 USD."

The EBS will be monitored every 14 days and adjusted upwards or downwards, if relevant, based on fuel availability, cost and mix.