CMA CGM’s October Fuel-Surcharge Update Requires Replacement, Not Automatic Stacking, Of Old Levels

HOUTU MARKET LETTER · GLOBAL TEA NEWS 282

CMA CGM's October Fuel-Surcharge Update Requires Replacement, Not Automatic Stacking, of Old Levels

CMA CGM - Advisory 14 emergency fuel surcharge update · Source date: 2026-09-18

News update with original procurement analysis · Checked: 9 October 2026

The newest emergency fuel-surcharge advisory is already effective from October loading dates within its stated scope. Tea buyers should update the relevant transport line while checking that an older fuel surcharge has not been left in the calculation twice.

HOUTU TEA market reading

The lane classification and applicability must come from the carrier or booking party, not an importer's assumption. HOUTU TEA's analysis is that replacing a rate is different from adding a new fee on top of the previous rate. This matters when a forwarder's quotation uses abbreviated charge names or when factory and distributor budgets were prepared at different times. A transparent reconciliation can prevent both double counting and an understated transport allowance.

What changed

Advisory 14 lists US$265/TEU for dry head-haul cargo and US$75/TEU for dry back-haul or intra-regional cargo. The notice says these levels replace those previously in force.

Illustrative HOUTU TEA sourcing, product and packing image — Illustrative HOUTU TEA image from the existing brand image library; not a photograph of the reported event.

Procurement decision

Ask for the current applicable EFS line, its effective loading date and how it relates to the written quotation. Confirm any regulatory-filing condition stated in the advisory. Do not remove other valid charges merely because this particular surcharge replaces its earlier level. For repeat tea shipments, maintain a dated rate sheet so purchasing, finance and sales use the same version when calculating delivered and retail economics.

Limits and risk

The head-haul and back-haul levels are not interchangeable, and the advisory is not a complete freight tariff. Applicability, inclusion and the correct trade classification require booking-specific confirmation.

Illustrative order scenario - not an actual transaction

If a dry 40-foot booking is confirmed as head-haul and the charge is separately applicable, the stated level gives US$530. The buyer should replace the superseded EFS entry with that confirmed amount, not add US$530 while retaining an older EFS line. Other legitimate charges remain on their own basis.

Buyer action checklist

Confirm the carrier's lane classification
Replace the superseded EFS line correctly
Check inclusion and regulatory-filing conditions
Use one dated freight sheet across the order team

HOUTU TEA execution note

The buying implications above are HOUTU TEA analysis, not statements by the source. Use this update to request comparable offers, not as a live price quotation. Keep the approved sample, batch specification, testing scope, packing details and shipment terms together before authorising a purchase. Where regulation is involved, the importer should verify the applicable product and destination requirements before shipment.

For tea specification matching, samples, private-label packing and shipment planning, contact Sophie at jessie@hoututea.com or WhatsApp +86 18888798057.