Importers stung by 'stealthy' US$1k fee by MSC

MSC is 'disincentivising' importers from Australia. (Image: Supplied)

Fri, 16 Jul 2021

Freight forwarders and importers are considering legal action after Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) “unilaterally” slapped a US$1,000 fee onto Auckland bound containers from Australia this past week.The fee is effective on bills of lading – shipped on board – from July 8. For some importers, that could push the overall shipping cost up by between a quarter and 50%, and is on top of about $530 in port charges and a $100 shipping line document fee for twenty-foot-equivalent unit (TEU) containers. Customs clearing...

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