MSC Extends Piracy And Suez Surcharges To More North African Ports From 19 October

1. What changed

The announcement includes Casablanca, Agadir and Nador among additional ports, with a US$55/TEU piracy-risk charge and US$36/TEU Suez charge from 19 October proforma date.

2. Limits and risk

The extension names specific ports and an effective proforma date. It is not a universal charge for all African routes or evidence that a particular tea consignment is at risk.

3. Procurement decision

Have the carrier or forwarder identify the service, applicable date convention and whether the quote includes these lines already. Keep the ocean quotation's validity aligned with the factory and booking timeline. For fixed resale contracts, review the transport allowance before accepting a new order at an old delivered cost. Do not add the same risk charges again if the written offer already includes them.

4. HOUTU TEA market reading

The two lines total US$91/TEU where both apply, but the relevance to a booking must be confirmed. HOUTU TEA interprets the update as a reminder that route-related costs can change separately from leaf prices and advertised freight. The security explanation does not mean every voyage is cancelled or every shipment follows the same route. Buyers should ask for current service details rather than infer operational status from a surcharge alone.

5. Illustrative order scenario - not an actual transaction

For an illustrative 40-foot shipment where both charges are separately applicable, two TEU produces US$182. The importer can allocate that amount to the actual tea weight after confirming the booking. A small line-item review protects pricing accuracy without exaggerating the fee into a claim of widespread route closure.

6. Buyer action checklist

• Verify the named port and service
• Confirm the proforma-date convention
• Reconcile included versus additional charges
• Update delivered-price allowances before new commitments