Another coalition of feeder operators, the Gulf Feeder Discussion Group, has announced that they will implement a bunker surcharge effective August 27.
Early this week a coalition of 10 feeder operators serving Sri Lanka's port of Colombo had announced a similar bunker recovery surcharge effective August 24 for container cargo to and from Colombo.
The seven-member Gulf Feeder Discussion Group has alerted shippers that a charge ranging from $10 to $50 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) will be levied on all laden and empty containers feedered between various ports in India and the Persian Gulf, as well as ports within the gulf region.
The operators said that the surcharge is necessary to meet steep increases in bunker fuel costs over the past few months and will remain in full force until average monthly prices stabalize below $350 per metric tonne (pmt). The operators added that the fee will increase if monthly bunker prices rise beyond $420 pmt.
Bunkerworld data shows that average prices for key-grade 380 centistoke (cst) fuel in Saudi Arabia's port of Jubail yesterday was $379 pmt while prices in Fujairah hovered around $377 pmt. 380 cst fuel in India's Visakhapatnam currently costs an avearge $515 pmt, Bunkerworld data showed.
A shipping analyst told Bunkerworld that it is common for shipping lines to demand bunker surcharges, and the burden “will eventually get passed from shipper to manufacturer and eventually consumer.”
Participating operators are Orient Express Lines, Orient Shipping Services, Qatar Navigation, Samudera Shipping Line Ltd., Sea Consortium Pte.Ltd., Simatech Shipping & Forwarding LLC. and Star Feeders.
Early this week a coalition of 10 feeder operators serving Sri Lanka's port of Colombo had announced a similar bunker recovery surcharge effective August 24 for container cargo to and from Colombo.
The seven-member Gulf Feeder Discussion Group has alerted shippers that a charge ranging from $10 to $50 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) will be levied on all laden and empty containers feedered between various ports in India and the Persian Gulf, as well as ports within the gulf region.
The operators said that the surcharge is necessary to meet steep increases in bunker fuel costs over the past few months and will remain in full force until average monthly prices stabalize below $350 per metric tonne (pmt). The operators added that the fee will increase if monthly bunker prices rise beyond $420 pmt.
Bunkerworld data shows that average prices for key-grade 380 centistoke (cst) fuel in Saudi Arabia's port of Jubail yesterday was $379 pmt while prices in Fujairah hovered around $377 pmt. 380 cst fuel in India's Visakhapatnam currently costs an avearge $515 pmt, Bunkerworld data showed.
A shipping analyst told Bunkerworld that it is common for shipping lines to demand bunker surcharges, and the burden “will eventually get passed from shipper to manufacturer and eventually consumer.”
Participating operators are Orient Express Lines, Orient Shipping Services, Qatar Navigation, Samudera Shipping Line Ltd., Sea Consortium Pte.Ltd., Simatech Shipping & Forwarding LLC. and Star Feeders.