CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Just Moved Indian Subcontinent Pricing — But on Different Clocks

Four carriers now have pricing changes in play on Indian Subcontinent-origin cargo, but they are not moving on the same clock. CMA CGM has a new $1,500 Peak Season Surcharge to Europe and the Mediterranean from July 22. MSC’s current South Asia–Europe FAK window runs through July 31 at the latest, with new August FAK rates already published from August 1. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd also have separate increases taking effect August 1.

The useful comparison is not simply which carrier raised a rate. Each filing covers a different destination scope, uses a different pricing instrument, and can apply according to a different trigger. For a shipper with bookings across carriers, the practical job is matching each container to the right filing and the right date.

Four carrier changes, four different checks

Here is the current cost calendar for the filings most relevant to Indian Subcontinent-origin cargo over the next two weeks.

Carrier	Origin and destination	Change	Effective / validity	What decides applicability
CMA CGM	Indian Subcontinent → Europe & Mediterranean	$1,500 PSS per unit	From 22 July 2026	Gate-in date
MSC	India & Pakistan → Europe	New August FAK rates	1 August to no later than 31 August 2026	Published rate validity; confirm booking applicability with MSC
MSC	Sri Lanka & Bangladesh → Europe	New August FAK rates	1 August to no later than 31 August 2026	Published rate validity; confirm booking applicability with MSC
Maersk	Indian Subcontinent → North Europe & Mediterranean	ECS increases by $1,000 per container	From 1 August 2026	Price Calculation Date (PCD)
Hapag-Lloyd	Indian Subcontinent & Pakistan → USA & Canada, all coasts	$1,000 per container GRI/GRA	From 1 August 2026	Gate-in-full date

Sources: CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd carrier advisories. Amounts and dates shown are the published figures for the stated scopes; other charges may apply separately.

CMA CGM: $1,500 PSS from July 22, based on gate-in date

CMA CGM is applying a Peak Season Surcharge of $1,500 per unit on dry cargo from the Indian Subcontinent to Europe and the Mediterranean from July 22, 2026. The carrier specifies gate-in date as the effective-date trigger.

That makes the operational check straightforward: a booking date or planned sailing date does not by itself tell you whether the surcharge applies. The container’s gate-in date is the date to check against the July 22 effective date.

The $1,500 is also not a complete freight bill. CMA CGM states that bunker-related surcharges, origin and destination terminal handling charges, safety and security surcharges, contingency charges and local charges may apply separately.

MSC: the current FAK window ends July 31, with new rates from August 1

MSC’s current FAK rates from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to Europe run no later than July 31, 2026. The carrier has now published the next FAK window, with new rates taking effect August 1 until further notice but no later than August 31, 2026.

Colombo → Antwerp / Valencia: $3,050 per 20DV; $3,350 per 40DV/HC
Chattogram → Antwerp / Valencia: $3,050 per 20DV; $3,850 per 40DV/HC
Nhava Sheva → Antwerp: $4,650 per 20DV or 40DV/HC
Ennore → Antwerp: $4,850 per 20DV or 40DV/HC
Kolkata → Antwerp: $4,950 per 20DV or 40DV/HC
Port Qasim → Antwerp: $4,650 per 20DV or 40DV/HC
India / Pakistan → Valencia: $4,750–$5,050 per 20DV or 40DV/HC depending on load port

The inclusions also differ by origin. For India and Pakistan, MSC says the published FAK rates include the base ocean freight, Contingency Adjustment Charge, Piracy Risk Surcharge and Emission Control Areas charge. Bunker Recovery Charge, ETS, FuelEU, Emergency Fuel Surcharge, origin and destination terminal handling charges and specified security fees are listed separately.

For Colombo and Chattogram, the published FAK rates additionally include origin terminal handling and the origin port surcharge. Bunker Recovery Charge, ETS, FuelEU, Emergency Fuel Surcharge, destination terminal handling and specified security charges remain separate. That means even within MSC’s South Asia–Europe announcements, the headline FAK figure does not have exactly the same inclusions at every origin.

August 1: MSC, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd move on different clocks

The next date to mark is August 1, when MSC’s new FAK rates begin and both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have increases taking effect on Indian Subcontinent-origin cargo. The date is the same. The trades and applicability rules are not.

Maersk is increasing its Emergency Contingency Surcharge on Indian Subcontinent cargo to North Europe and the Mediterranean from Price Calculation Date August 1. Across the published E3W and E4W tariff rows, the ECS increases by $1,000 per container. The resulting surcharge level varies by origin group and equipment type.

For example, North West India and Pakistan to North Europe moves from $2,500 to $3,500 per container. Bangladesh to North Europe moves from $3,000 to $4,000 for 20DRY and from $3,800 to $4,800 for 40DRY/HDRY. The relevant control point is Maersk’s Price Calculation Date, not a generic gate-in or sailing date.

Hapag-Lloyd, meanwhile, has a $1,000 per container GRI/GRA from the Indian Subcontinent and Pakistan to the USA and Canada, all coasts. It applies to containers gated in full from August 1 and covers 20-foot and 40-foot dry, reefer and special containers, including High Cube equipment.

These increases have already been covered separately on the Tradlinx blog. The reason to put them beside the CMA CGM and MSC filings here is operational: a container moving out of the same broad origin region can face a July 22 gate-in trigger, an August 1 FAK rate reset, an August 1 PCD trigger, or an August 1 gate-in-full trigger depending on the carrier and destination trade.

The date on the advisory is only half the answer

An effective date tells you when a filing starts. The carrier’s applicability rule tells you which shipment actually falls under it. In this set of announcements, CMA CGM uses gate-in date, Maersk uses Price Calculation Date, and Hapag-Lloyd uses the date the container is gated in full. MSC publishes defined validity windows for its FAK rates and advises customers to confirm pricing for specific port pairs, commodities and equipment outside the published scope.

That distinction matters more than treating all four announcements as one rate increase. A booking created before an effective date does not automatically preserve an earlier price if the carrier’s applicable trigger occurs later. Conversely, a shipment may fall inside a published rate window even though its actual sailing happens after the rate was first announced.

The practical control point is knowing where each shipment stands against the rule attached to its carrier and trade. If you are managing Indian Subcontinent-origin boxes across multiple carriers and want to see shipment status in one place while checking those deadlines, walk through how ops teams monitor shipments across carriers in one view.

What to re-check this week

CMA CGM to Europe or the Mediterranean: check the container’s gate-in date against July 22. The published PSS is $1,500 per unit from that date.
MSC to Europe: check whether your shipment falls under the current FAK window ending no later than July 31 or the new FAK rates taking effect August 1.
MSC rate comparisons: check the origin-specific inclusions before comparing headline FAK figures. Colombo and Chattogram rates include origin terminal handling; the India and Pakistan filing lists origin terminal handling separately.
Maersk to North Europe or the Mediterranean: check the Price Calculation Date against August 1 and confirm the ECS level for the specific origin group and equipment type.
Hapag-Lloyd to North America: check whether the container will be gated in full from August 1, when the $1,000 per container GRI/GRA applies.

Sources and dates: CMA CGM announced a $1,500 per unit PSS on dry cargo from the Indian Subcontinent to Europe and the Mediterranean from 22 July 2026, based on gate-in date. MSC’s current FAK windows for India and Pakistan, and separately Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, to Europe run no later than 31 July 2026, with new FAK rates published from 1 August until further notice but no later than 31 August 2026. Maersk’s ECS increase on Indian Subcontinent to North Europe and Mediterranean trades takes effect from Price Calculation Date 1 August 2026. Hapag-Lloyd’s $1,000 per container GRI/GRA from Indian Subcontinent and Pakistan to USA and Canada, all coasts, applies to containers gated in full from 1 August 2026. Confirm the tariff, applicability rule and additional charges for your specific booking with the carrier before making pricing decisions.

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