CMA CGM Sets A US$350/TEU PSS For China To Central West African Markets From 22 October

What changed

From 22 October, the central range including Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Ghana, Togo and Equatorial Guinea carries a US$350/TEU PSS on the specified cargo and contract scope.

Limits and risk

The notice applies to short-term contracts within its stated scope. It does not establish a surcharge on every shipment or authorise adding the charge to an already inclusive quotation.

HOUTU TEA market reading

A TEU-based amount must be translated correctly for the booked equipment. HOUTU TEA's interpretation is that shipment scheduling and charge inclusion should be settled before a tea order is priced for resale. A short-term quote that already includes the surcharge must not receive a second manual addition. The announcement also leaves other applicable charges in place, so the PSS is only one line in the transport cost.

Procurement decision

Ask the carrier or forwarder to identify whether the PSS is separately charged or included in the ocean freight, particularly under the China filing conditions stated in the notice. Confirm the contractual rate basis and the loading-date convention. Align factory completion, cut-off and booking details so that a nominally earlier production date is not mistaken for exemption from a later loading-date charge.

Buyer action checklist

• Confirm contract scope and loading date
• Check whether PSS is already included
• Convert TEU correctly for booked equipment
• Keep other freight and local charges visible

Illustrative order scenario - not an actual transaction

For a hypothetical 40-foot shipment within scope, two TEU would translate the stated PSS into US$700 if billed separately. The buyer should verify the invoice basis before adding it. A packing plan completed before 22 October does not by itself determine the applicable charge; the relevant loading date must be confirmed.