Maersk Raises Durban Congestion Fee to $900 per 40ft

Maersk will raise its Durban congestion fee by 80% to US$450 per 20ft and US$900 per 40ft container on imports from Far East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East. The new rates take effect on 1 November 2026 for most origins and 8 November for South Korea and Taiwan. The surcharge applies per container, regardless of how long it remains at the port. Meanwhile, Durban Gateway Terminal (DGT) reinstated storage charges on 1 October after waiving them since early August. For importers, the two changes create separate cost exposures: a higher carrier surcharge determined by the applicable pricing terms, and time-based charges if containers cannot leave the terminal within their free period.

What Maersk Is Changing in November

Maersk’s Congestion Fee Destination (CFD) applies to import cargo loaded at Far East Asian, Indian Subcontinent and Middle Eastern ports and destined for Durban. Its 8 October announcement raises the existing rates as follows:

Container size	Current CFD	New CFD	Increase
All 20ft	US$250	US$450	+US$200 (80%)
All 40ft	US$500	US$900	+US$400 (80%)

Maersk Durban CFD, per container. Source: Maersk, 8 October 2026.

The higher rates take effect on different dates depending on origin:

Non-regulated countries: 1 November 2026
Vietnam: 1 November 2026
South Korea and Taiwan: 8 November 2026

These are tariff effective dates, not necessarily vessel arrival dates. The applicable charge depends on the shipment’s pricing arrangements, including any relevant Price Calculation Date (PCD) rules. Importers with bookings near the changeover should confirm the applicable CFD with Maersk rather than assume that an arrival before or after 1 November determines the rate.

Since Maersk’s 4 September revision, the CFD applies regardless of which Durban terminal discharges the container. It is no longer limited to DGT cargo.

How Durban’s Charges Have Changed Since August

Maersk notice	What changed
31 Aug 2026	CFD introduced at US$250 per 20ft and US$500 per 40ft for Far East and Middle East cargo discharged at DGT only, effective 15 September
4 Sep 2026	CFD scope clarified to include Indian Subcontinent origins and all Durban terminals; Vietnam effective 18 September, South Korea 3 October
Effective 11 Sep 2026	Separate Durban–Cato Ridge drop-off fee (DRP) suspended: ZAR 4,200 per 20ft and ZAR 4,500 per 40ft dry reduced to zero, citing high depot utilisation and reduced storage capacity
1 Oct 2026	Import demurrage-free period at DGT extended from three to five calendar days for GP dry and non-operating reefer (NOR) containers
8 Oct 2026	CFD increase announced to US$450 per 20ft and US$900 per 40ft, effective 1 November for most origins and 8 November for South Korea and Taiwan

Selected Maersk Durban advisories, August–October 2026. The Cato Ridge DRP is a separate charge from the CFD.

Durban has faced congestion surcharges before. Maersk introduced an earlier CFD in December 2023, reduced it in September 2024 and allowed it to expire on 8 November 2024. That history shows the charge can be reduced or removed, although Maersk has announced no expiry date for the current CFD.

The latest 80% increase comes while vessel queues and landside disruption continue to affect cargo movements. It adds another cost to affected bookings even as the terminal works to restore normal operations.

What Is Slowing Durban Gateway Terminal

The terminal. DGT, formerly Durban Container Terminal Pier 2, handles more than 40% of South Africa’s container traffic. ICTSI has managed day-to-day operations since 1 January 2026 under a 25-year partnership. Transnet retains a 50.001% ownership stake, while ICTSI holds 49.999% and has management control.

The slowdown. According to the South African Freight and Logistics Association (SAFLA), vessels calling at DGT averaged about 80 hours at anchorage in July, followed by 106 hours at berth. By early August, average anchorage time had reached 166 hours, roughly seven days, with a further 116 hours at berth. Independent monitoring cited by SAFLA and the Road Freight Association put the average Durban port call, including waiting and berth time, at under five days in late June and over 12 days by late August.

The trigger. The disruption worsened around DGT’s mid-August switch to the Navis N4 terminal operating system, after which weekly throughput fell 26%. SAFLA and the Road Freight Association stressed that straddle carrier availability, equipment breakdowns, yard constraints and truck congestion were already problems before the system change.

Where it stands. During an early-October visit, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said average vessel waiting time had improved to 8.3 days, still far above the terminal’s 24-hour target. DGT says operations have stabilised and are improving. It also plans to replace its existing truck appointment system with a new digital platform called Navigate, although no confirmed rollout date has been announced.

The Landside Storage Clock Restarted on 1 October

DGT charged no container storage fees from early August through September. For general-purpose containers aboard vessels berthing from 1 October, the terminal reinstated a five-day free storage period. DGT counts the period from 00:01 on the day after discharge until the container leaves the gate.

Once the five free days expire, the following terminal storage rates apply:

Container	Day 6 (ZAR)	Day 7 onward (ZAR)
20ft	2,698	4,391
40ft	5,396	8,773
45ft	8,100	13,159

DGT storage charges for general-purpose containers after five free days. Amounts are in South African rand, excluding applicable VAT. Source: DGT notice, 28 September 2026.

Out-of-gauge (OOG), dangerous goods (IMDG), reefer imports, transshipment and other container categories follow separate arrangements in DGT’s published tariff book. For certain older containers, DGT’s notice also specifies a deemed landing date of 1 October. The five-day general-purpose arrangement should therefore not be applied to every container type or shipment without checking its category.

DGT intends to cut the general-purpose free period to four days and then to the standard three days when operationally practical. It has not announced implementation dates for either step.

Maersk Has Also Extended Demurrage Free Time

Terminal storage is only one of the clocks running. In a separate notice effective 1 October, Maersk extended the import demurrage-free period at DGT from three to five calendar days for general-purpose dry and non-operating reefer (NOR) containers. The concession remains in place until further notice, with other demurrage terms and conditions unchanged.

That gives qualifying Maersk containers additional free time, but terminal storage and carrier demurrage remain separate charges governed by their respective rules. Importers should check the applicable start dates, equipment categories and free-time conditions for each container. An extension granted by one carrier does not automatically apply to shipments booked with another.

DGT says it has asked shipping lines to waive demurrage where delays were caused by terminal congestion. Whether a carrier must grant relief is a separate question, covered in our post on whether demurrage is owed when the terminal caused the delay.

The new US$900 CFD on a 40ft container is a per-container surcharge, while storage and demurrage depend on the applicable free-time rules. A vessel can spend days waiting at anchorage without using up post-discharge storage free time. Once cargo is discharged, however, missed truck appointments, delayed releases and limited gate capacity can quickly consume the remaining free days.

If your team is checking Durban discharge times container by container to stay inside DGT’s five-day window, walk through how ops teams set up discharge and gate-out alerts across carriers.

What to Re-check Before November

Bookings near the switch date. The new CFD becomes effective on 1 November for most origins and 8 November for South Korea and Taiwan. Confirm the applicable Price Calculation Date and booking terms with Maersk rather than using the Durban arrival date to determine which rate applies.
Origin country. Cargo from Vietnam and non-regulated origins moves to the new rate on 1 November. Cargo from South Korea and Taiwan moves on 8 November.
Every Durban terminal. Quotes that assumed the CFD applied only at DGT are out of date following the September revision. The surcharge applies across Durban discharge terminals for the specified trades.
Container type. The published CFD rates cover all 20ft and 40ft equipment. DGT storage concessions and Maersk’s demurrage extension have their own equipment-specific conditions.
Discharge time per container. DGT’s five-day general-purpose free period is calculated from 00:01 on the day after discharge. Check each container’s discharge and gate-out records, rather than relying on the vessel’s arrival time.
Truck appointments. Plan transport against actual berthing, cargo availability and confirmed terminal access. Watch for DGT’s planned transition to the Navigate appointment platform.
Carrier demurrage. Maersk’s five-day concession applies to GP dry and NOR imports at DGT from 1 October until further notice. Confirm other carriers’ arrangements separately, and retain records if terminal-caused delays prevent collection.
Shorter free periods. Monitor DGT’s terminal updates for the planned reduction from five days to four and then three.
Cato Ridge. Maersk’s separate Cato Ridge drop-off fee remains suspended until further notice. Confirm the applicable empty-return location and tariff before planning around that suspension.

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