New Surcharges Add US$100 to Beira Container Costs
Importers on Beira, China and Réunion lanes must budget for new per-container charges beginning in November 2026.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Transportation
CMA CGM has introduced three new freight surcharges covering shipments from Mozambique, China and the Far East. A US$100 Port Congestion Surcharge per container applies to shipments from Beira, Mozambique, to all destinations, effective 15 November 2026, with a 30 November 2026 start for countries with filing requirements.
Why it matters
Congestion at the Port of Beira prompted the carrier to add the surcharge, and shipments remain subject to space availability. For shippers of dry, hazardous and out-of-gauge cargo moving through Beira, the surcharge adds a fixed cost per container that must be built into freight budgets.
The new charges are US$100 per container for Beira, US$300 per 20-foot dry container for overweight China-to-Indian Ocean cargo, and US$300 per TEU for Far East shipments to Pointe des Galets, Réunion. The overweight threshold is a gross weight above 18 tonnes, and the existing Port Louis overweight surcharge is US$500 per container.
The players
CMA CGM
A major French container shipping line whose global network of vessels and terminals makes it one of the largest ocean carriers, and whose surcharge schedules directly set freight costs for importers and exporters on these lanes.
The details
The Beira surcharge applies to dry, hazardous and out-of-gauge cargo bound for any destination, while an earlier Beira congestion surcharge reported in March 2026 did not cover all destinations. The overweight surcharge applies only to 20-foot dry containers exceeding 18 tonnes gross, which means carriers and shippers must weigh containers accurately before booking. For Réunion, CMA CGM may fold the peak season charge into the ocean freight rate rather than list it separately, and China-origin shipments are subject to Shanghai Shipping Exchange filing rules.
Timeline
1 November 2026: Overweight surcharge for China-to-Indian Ocean 20-foot dry containers takes effect and remains until further notice.
15 November 2026: Beira port congestion surcharge and Réunion peak season surcharge take effect.
30 November 2026: Beira surcharge takes effect for countries subject to filing requirements.
Market Landscape
The new Beira surcharge widens the scope of the March 2026 CMA CGM congestion charge, which covered fewer destinations, showing congestion costs being passed through to a broader set of lanes. Charges tied to weight limits and peak seasons on the China and Far East routes indicate carriers are layering several surcharges on top of base ocean freight.
Freight and procurement teams importing through Beira, Réunion or the Indian Ocean should add these surcharges to landed-cost estimates before the November start dates. Shippers of 20-foot dry containers from China should weigh loads before booking to avoid the US$300 overweight charge.
The takeaway
Surcharges on specific lanes are now stacking on top of base ocean freight, so cost models built on base rates alone will understate landed costs. Operators should confirm with their forwarder whether Réunion peak season charges are bundled into the freight rate and whether China-origin filings apply before the 15 November 2026 start.
What happens next
On 1 November 2026 the overweight surcharge takes effect, followed by the Beira and Réunion surcharges on 15 November and the Beira filing-country start on 30 November 2026.
Further reading
For broader context on how carriers price these charges, see the latest Transportation coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Container News.
