CMA CGM raises Asia–Africa shipping surcharges from 1 November, up to $900 per container
French shipping group CMA CGM has raised peak-season surcharges on container shipments from Asia to Africa, with the new charges taking effect today, Sunday 1 November 2026. The highest charge is US$900 per TEU — a standard 20-foot container unit — on shipments from China to the southern range of West Africa.
Shipments from China and its Special Administrative Regions to Angola, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Gabon and Cameroon will carry the US$900 charge for dry and refrigerated cargo under short-term contracts, based on the loading date. Cargo to Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Equatorial Guinea and Togo will cost an extra US$700 per TEU, while Senegal-bound cargo faces US$400. Ghana is excluded, with its existing surcharge unchanged.
Other routes are affected too. CMA CGM will charge US$300 per TEU on shipments from China to Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius and South Africa, and the same amount on cargo to Mombasa in Kenya, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar in Tanzania, and Port Victoria in Seychelles. Shipments to Malé in the Maldives face US$250 per TEU. A separate overweight surcharge of US$300 per container will apply to 20-foot dry containers from China to East Africa weighing more than 18 tonnes.
Why it matters
The charges will add to the cost of moving goods from Asia to Africa at the start of the peak shipping season. For importers in countries such as Nigeria and Kenya, the extra fees could push up the price of imported goods, from electronics to food and machinery, if businesses pass the cost on to shoppers. The new Nigeria rate of US$700 per TEU is double the US$350 surcharge CMA CGM announced for the same route in October, according to BusinessDay.
What happens next
The surcharges apply to cargo loaded from 1 November, and the overweight charge stays in place until further notice. CMA CGM said the charges for shipments from China would be filed with the Shanghai Shipping Exchange or built into ocean freight rates. Importers should check the exact charge for each booking with the carrier, because the company has issued several overlapping surcharge notices for Asia–Africa routes in recent weeks.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://container-news.com/cma-cgm-announces-new-asia-africa-surcharges-for-november/ (Container News, 28 October 2026)
- https://businessday.ng/maritime/article/cma-cgm-slams-700-surcharge-on-china-nigeria-cargo-from-november/ (BusinessDay, 28 October 2026)
