DANISH shipping giant, Maersk Line, the world's largest carrier, has announced it plans to increase the rates of its northern Europe (including Russia and Scandinavia) to Asia (including Japan) services by US$400 per TEU from May 1.

The carrier said earlier in Weekly Highlights that it has ceased all North Europe-Asia bookings until May and also decided to introduce super slow steaming to its AE1, AE6, AE7, AE9 and AE10 eastbound North Europe-Asia services.

Some were critical of the Maersk cargo booking halt. Ben Hackett of Hackett Associates, a shipping analyst who produces the Global Port Tracker, said: "They are using it to bump the freight rates up. I think it is more an unwillingness to carry cargo at certain rates."