From 22 October 2026, shipping group CMA CGM is applying a peak-season surcharge of $350 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) to containers loaded in China and bound for six African countries: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Equatorial Guinea. The charge covers dry and refrigerated cargo moving under short-term shipping contracts, according to the carrier’s notice dated 5 October.
The published rate means $350 for a standard 20-foot container and $700 for a 40-foot container, equivalent to two TEUs. The effective date refers to loading in China and its special administrative regions, not to the arrival of goods at African ports.
Importers using CMA CGM on these routes need to factor the charge into their shipping costs. The carrier says the surcharge may be included in ocean freight or be subject to the relevant Shanghai Shipping Exchange filing. Fuel, terminal-handling, safety and security charges, as well as other local fees, may also be payable.
The revised schedule follows a 30 September notice setting out a $200-per-TEU rate for certain shipments loaded from central and southern China from 15 October to the same six destinations. The 5 October notice now covers departures from all of China and its special administrative regions. It does not explicitly say whether the two schedules are cumulative, so the applicable invoice depends on the booking and contract terms.
The $350 surcharge is therefore not the full cost of shipping a container from China to Africa. CMA CGM limits this schedule to dry and reefer cargo covered by short-term contracts.