Maersk’s landside warning and the geopolitics of port capacity

4 September 2026

MSC introduces piracy and Suez surcharges on Asia-Mediterranean cargo

MSC will introduce new Piracy Risk and Suez Canal surcharges on cargo moving from Asia to the East Mediterranean and Black Sea. The charges will apply from 15 September 2026 , based on the proforma date, and will remain in place until further notice. MSC attributed the move to piracy risks around the Arabian Peninsula, which it said are affecting vessel operations and transit routes across its network. Surcharges reach US$91 per TEU MSC will apply a Piracy Risk Surcharge (PRS) of US$55 per TEU . The carrier will also introduce a Suez Canal Surcharge (SCS) of US$36 per TEU .