U.S. port docking fees may have spooked the container shipping industry and the retail industry alike, among many others, before they were finalized in mid-April. But Maersk is brushing the concerns aide, assuring its customers it won’t see any direct impacts.
“At this time, we do not see a direct cost from this initiative impacting Maersk or our customers,” said the ocean carrier in a customer advisory Thursday. “We do not anticipate changes to our U.S. port rotations due to the new fees. Your current service plans remain unchanged.”
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Maersk, which moves product for retail giants including Walmart, Target, Nike and Gap, Inc., is seeking to quell concerns that range from higher container prices to fewer port calls and lengthier delivery times.
Starting Oct. 14, fees on Chinese-owned and -operated ships will be based on net tonnage per U.S. voyage, and will be set at $50 per net ton. From there, an extra $30 per net ton will be tacked on each year through 2028.
But Chinese-built ships owned by non-Chinese companies, which Maersk falls under, will be charged $18 per net ton, with annual fee increases of $5 over the same period.
The penalties were levied by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) after it ruled that China had an “unreasonable” state-subsidized dominance of the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, concluding a nine-month long investigation.
Of the major non-Chinese ocean carriers, Maersk had the most U.S. calls using Chinese-built vessels. Out of a total of 214 Maersk ships sailing to U.S. ports, 38 were built in China, ahead of ZIM’s 37, CMA CGM’s 36 and MSC’s 34, according to data from Alphaliner.
But the container shipping firm’s wider fleet of 737 ships, along with its vessel-sharing alliance with Hapag-Lloyd, will likely ensure that the company can more easily switch USTR-compliant ships in to call at U.S. ports once the fees go into effect.
Across the industry, only 20 percent of the current fleet of container ships calling at U.S. ports would be affected. Those vessels are expected to be swapped with exempt ships over the next six months, according to an April 21 blog from container shipping analysis firm Linerlytica.
“All of the main carriers have sufficient exempt ships available to make the switch without severe operational disruptions,” said Linerlytica.
As the Maersk-Hapag Lloyd Gemini Cooperation further phases in, schedule reliability has remained a top priority for both carriers as they call at fewer ports.