CMA CGM has revised its October freight rates across key trade routes, introducing new tariff timelines and complex surcharge layers, signalling significant changes in its international shipping pricing strategy.
CMA CGM has redrawn a broad swathe of its October pricing on east-west and north-south trades, with the carrier’s latest filings now pointing to 1 October 2026 as the key date for fresh charges on west Mediterranean cargo to North America, new Freight All Kinds tariffs out of east coast South America, and peak-season surcharges on Europe and Mediterranean shipments into Latin America. The most recent notices, all published on 3 September, show the French line moving on several fronts at once rather than making a single isolated adjustment.
That latest position matters because one part of the package had previously been flagged to the market on an earlier timetable. An earlier CMA CGM filing for west Mediterranean cargo to the United States, first published on 18 August, said the Rate Restoration Initiative would start on 15 September 2026. Médias24, reporting on 28 August from a Moroccan perspective, said the measure covered Morocco alongside France, Italy and Spanish Mediterranean ports including Valencia, Barcelona and Algeciras, with application to US east coast, Gulf coast and west coast ports as well as inland moves via those gateways. However, CMA CGM’s newer 3 September advisory now gives 1 October as the start date for the US measure.
The new FAK grid from east coast South America is the most detailed element of the package. CMA CGM says it applies by loading date from Brazil, excluding north-east Brazil, as well as Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, and will remain in force until further notice. The published dry-cargo tariffs range from US$1,965 for a 20-foot box to North Africa up to US$7,230 to the Middle East, while 40-foot and 40-foot high-cube containers are priced from US$2,230 to North Africa to US$7,660 to the Middle East. Rates to North Europe are set at US$2,165 for 20-foot equipment and US$2,680 for 40-foot units, with separate levels for the west and east Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Adriatic and the Red Sea.
CMA CGM’s own notice makes clear those South America tariffs are not all-in landed costs. The FAK figures include the basic freight, bunker-related surcharges, EU ETS and the low sulphur surcharge, but terminal handling charges at origin and destination, safety and security items, and other local or contingency fees can still be added. The carrier also says shippers needing rates for commodities outside the FAK scope, different port pairs or specific equipment types should approach local offices, suggesting the published grid is a baseline rather than a complete menu.
On the transatlantic leg, CMA CGM has issued separate restoration filings for the United States and Canada rather than one combined North America notice. For the US, the 3 September advisory covers west Mediterranean ports and Morocco, with the increase applying to cargo for the United States and inland points via those ports. For Canada, the carrier’s separate filing names west Mediterranean ports including Italy, Mediterranean Spain plus Vigo, and France, with the same destination wording for Canada and inland points. In both cases, the charge is US$250 for a 20-foot container and US$500 for 40-foot, 40-foot high-cube and 45-foot equipment, while out-of-gauge cargo is excluded.
The Latin America peak-season surcharges are broader in geography than the initial summary suggested. CMA CGM’s group notice says cargo from North Europe, including Scandinavia and the Baltic, to South America’s west coast will face a surcharge of €300 or US$350 per container, limited to quarterly deals and shorter. A separate west Mediterranean line in the same notice sets the levy at €200 or US$230 per container for cargo heading not only to South America’s west coast but also to Central America’s east coast and the Caribbean, Central America’s west coast and Mexico’s west coast, as well as Leeward, Windward, Guyana and North Brazil, with Gustavia and Philipsburg excluded.
One Mediterranean advisory introduces a wrinkle of its own. A local CMA CGM notice from Egypt covering east Mediterranean, Adriatic and Black Sea exports to Central America, the Caribbean and South America’s west coast states the peak-season surcharge at €300 per container and says it applies to dry, standard and special equipment, excluding non-operating reefers, under short-term contracts of up to three months. By contrast, the group-wide notice published on 3 September lists the same east Mediterranean lane at US$300 per container, describes the cargo more simply as dry, and says the deal period is quarterly and under. Shippers comparing notices will therefore need to check which advisory their booking falls under.
What emerges from the package is not just a rise in base shipping costs but a layered pricing structure in which published rates or restoration amounts sit alongside bunker, terminal, security and local charges that may still be billed separately. As of Monday 7 September 2026, CMA CGM’s most recent published position is that the main changes in this package take effect from 1 October, even though at least one earlier filing and the Moroccan coverage pointed to a mid-September start for the US-bound restoration measure.
Source Reference Map
Inspired by headline at: [1]
Sources by paragraph:
– Paragraph 1: [2], [3], [4], [5]
– Paragraph 2: [3], [7]
– Paragraph 3: [2]
– Paragraph 4: [2]
– Paragraph 5: [3], [4]
– Paragraph 6: [5]
– Paragraph 7: [5], [6]
– Paragraph 8: [2], [3], [4], [7]
Source: Noah Wire Services
Verification / Sources
- https://container-news.com/cma-cgm-announces-new-fak-rates-and-surcharges-from-october/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.cma-cgm.com/news/5587/fak-rates-from-east-coast-south-america-to-europe-the-middle-east-amp-red-sea – CMA CGM’s own notice sets out the new FAK rate grid for East Coast South America cargo moving to Europe, the Middle East and the Red Sea from 1 October 2026. It adds the carrier’s primary source for the published prices, scope, and inclusions, showing that the rates cover Brazil ex-Northeast Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The notice also specifies that the figures already include bunker-related surcharges, EU ETS and Low Sulphur Surcharge, while THC, security and local charges may still be added.
- https://www.cma-cgm.com/news/5584/rate-restoration-initiative-rri-from-the-west-mediterranean-to-the-usa – This is CMA CGM’s primary advisory for the West Mediterranean to USA RRI. It confirms the effective date, the origin and destination scope, and the per-container amounts. The notice adds that Morocco is included in the origin range, and that the charge applies to cargo moving to US East Coast, Gulf Coast, West Coast and inland destinations reached via those ports. It also states that all cargo except out-of-gauge shipments is covered, with usual bunker, terminal and security surcharges potentially added separately.
- https://www.cma-cgm.com/news/5583/rate-restoration-initiative-rri-from-the-west-mediterranean-to-canada – CMA CGM’s Canada-bound RRI notice confirms the same US$250/US$500 structure reported in the article, but for cargo from West Mediterranean ports to Canada and inland points. It broadens the origin list to include Italy, Spain Med plus Vigo, and France. The page is useful because it shows the carrier issued a separate Canada filing, not just a generic transatlantic increase, and it repeats the usual exclusions and surcharge caveats.
- https://www.cma-cgm.com/news/5586/pss-from-north-europe-amp-the-mediterranean-to-south-america-west-coast-central-america-amp-the-caribbean – This CMA CGM notice is the primary source for the new peak season surcharge on North Europe and Mediterranean exports to South America, Central America and the Caribbean. It confirms the surcharge starts on 1 October 2026 and gives the destination list, including South America West Coast, Central America East Coast and the Caribbean, Central America West Coast and Mexico West Coast. It adds a fuller scope than the article by spelling out the destinations and cargo categories covered.
- https://www.cma-cgm.com/local/egypt/news/90/peak-season-surcharge-pss-announcement – This local CMA CGM advisory gives the full scope of the East Mediterranean PSS to Central America, the Caribbean and South America West Coast. It confirms the 1 October 2026 start date and the EUR 300 per container level. The page is valuable because it spells out the origin and destination geography in detail, showing exactly which lanes are affected and that dry, standard and special equipment are included, with NOR excluded.
- https://medias24.com/2026/08/28/fret-maritime-cma-cgm-augmente-ses-tarifs-entre-le-maroc-et-les-etats-unis-des-le-15-septembre-1744489/ – Médias24 covers the same West Mediterranean to United States RRI and adds a Moroccan market angle. It says the increase begins on 15 September 2026, not 1 October, and that Morocco is among the origin countries affected. The article also names France, Italy and Spanish Mediterranean ports, and reports the transatlantic surcharge amounts. It adds that the measure covers inland US cargo via the ports, and notes the filing may include extra freight-related charges.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score: 10
Notes: The article reports on CMA CGM’s new Freight All Kinds (FAK) rates and surcharges effective from 1 October 2026, with the latest update dated 6 September 2026. This is the most recent information available, indicating high freshness.
Quotes check
Score: 10
Notes: The article does not contain any direct quotes, which simplifies verification. The information aligns with CMA CGM’s official announcements, suggesting accuracy.
Source reliability
Score: 8
Notes: The primary source is CMA CGM’s official website, which is reputable. However, the article also references Container News, a trade publication. While generally reliable, its niche focus may limit broader verification.
Plausibility check
Score: 9
Notes: The reported rates and surcharges are consistent with CMA CGM’s previous pricing adjustments and industry trends. No discrepancies or implausible claims were identified.