MSC to hike Suez Canal surcharges 5.5 times from April 15, 2009
From April 15, 2009, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) will hike Suez Canal surcharges from $9 to $50 for 20’ containers, Lloyd’s List reports according to Deliver. The increase is to compensate for a part of revenue the company has lost due to a fall of Far East-Europe rates, which started as early as in 2008.
According to Colin O’Pray, MSC Director on Business Development in Great Britain, the surcharge is to be hiked to let the company “withstand during a period of economic recession and considerable fall of import from the far East”.
As of the beginning of 2009, MSC operated 419 container carriers with total capacity of 1,460,000 TEU. MSC headquarters are located in Geneva(Switzerland).