Some customers and competitors were surprised by the timing of the surcharges, which are typically implemented in August or September, if at all, and only after volume spikes.
With more ships expected to divert to the longer Cape of Good Hope route around southern Africa, shippers could find it more difficult to secure capacity for project cargoes.
The European automotive industry has been hammered by Washington’s import tariffs that are imposing a significant financial burden on the continent’s carmakers.