Shippers on the Far East-West Coast route may have overpaid up to $475 per TEU in bunker surcharges, according to VesselBot's analysis.
Shippers on the Far East-West Coast North America route may have paid up to US$475 per TEU above actual fuel costs in April and May, reports London's Container Management.
Maritime data firm VesselBot stated that its Fuel Surcharge Reference Cost diverged sharply from the carrier-published bunker adjustment factor and emergency fuel surcharge levels.
In April, Maersk charged $605 per TEU and CMA CGM $710 per TEU, while VesselBot calculated the true cost at $295 per TEU. This implied gaps of $310 and $415, respectively.
Both carriers maintained their rates into May; however, VesselBot's benchmark fell to $235 per TEU, widening the gaps to $370 for Maersk and $475 for CMA CGM.
The published charges included bunker adjustment factors ranging from $405 to $445 per TEU and emergency surcharges between $200 and $265. VesselBot calculated that a shipper moving 1,000 TEU in May could have avoided approximately $475,000 in costs.
The firm noted that its reference cost dropped by 20% between April and May due to more efficient voyage execution. It argued that indices based on vessel operating profiles, fuel consumption, routing, and utilization provide a more defensible benchmark than carrier surcharge schedules.
