East Mediterranean to US and Canada PSS

What the two rate tiers cover

Maersk announced on September 7, 2026 a Peak Season Surcharge for shipments from the East Mediterranean to the United States and Canada, effective October 7 until further notice. The table sets two origin-based rate tiers.

The first tier covers Bulgaria, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Lebanon, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. For the listed equipment, the PSS is USD 250 per container. The second tier covers Syria, with a rate of EUR 220 per container. The currencies are part of the tariff definition and should not be blended into a single approximate figure.

The table lists all 20-foot containers, all 40/45-foot high dry containers, and 40-foot high reefer containers. The charge is shown per container. A listed 40-foot container is therefore not automatically charged twice because it represents two TEU. Equipment outside the published categories needs direct confirmation.

The announcement’s scope is East Mediterranean origin to the United States or Canada. It does not automatically cover China-direct cargo that merely transships in the region. If goods are stored, repacked, consolidated, or rebooked at an East Mediterranean location, confirm whether a new in-scope ocean booking is created and which location is the rate origin.

This is also separate from the West Mediterranean PSS announcement. Similar amounts and destinations do not make the origin lists interchangeable. Quote records should identify the specific regional notice and the actual origin country.

Choose the correct origin, currency, and date

Begin with the rate origin, not the manufacturing origin. Goods manufactured in China may be sold through a Turkish warehouse and booked from Turkey; other goods may only pass through a Turkish port under a through booking that began elsewhere. The carrier’s rate and booking determine which origin is relevant.

If the booking originates in Bulgaria, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Lebanon, Romania, Turkey, or Ukraine, the published tier is USD 250 per listed container. If it originates in Syria, the published tier is EUR 220. Do not convert EUR 220 at a convenient exchange rate and describe the result as the same tariff as USD 250. Finance may convert currencies for budgeting, but the source charge should retain its original amount and currency.

Next, check equipment. Record each container’s size and type. A booking may include a dry container and a reefer under the same bill; each should be matched to the applicable column. An open-top, flat-rack, or another special unit should not be forced into a listed category without carrier confirmation.

Then determine booking type. For non-Spot cargo, the relevant calculation differs by FMC status. For a non-FMC non-Spot booking, Maersk describes the PCD as the scheduled departure date of the first water leg at booking confirmation. For an FMC-regulated non-Spot booking, PCD is the last container gate-in date.

For Spot cargo, the announcement uses the estimated departure of the first vessel at booking confirmation. This is not necessarily the date when the final transatlantic vessel departs. A feeder can be the first vessel in a multi-leg route, so record the first-water movement shown in the confirmation.

The date rule should be written into the rate file. Use fields for Spot status, FMC status, first vessel or first water leg, gate-in date where relevant, and exact calculation date. If the carrier amends the schedule or the customer changes the booking, request an updated price confirmation.

Build a segment-level quote record

Transshipment cargo is easiest to control when every transport segment has its own commercial record. List the original pickup, export port, warehouse or consolidation point, East Mediterranean loading point, transatlantic leg, destination port, and final delivery. Against each segment, state the provider, booking number, equipment, date basis, and charges.

For the PSS line, record seven fields:

Origin country: Use the country that starts the affected ocean rate, not a broad “Mediterranean” label.

Destination: Name the U.S. or Canadian port and preserve any inland destination separately.

Equipment and quantity: List the covered size and type for every container.

Rate tier: Select USD 250 or Syria’s EUR 220 based on origin.

Booking category: Spot or non-Spot, plus FMC status where relevant.

Date basis: State the first-water scheduled departure, last gate-in, or first-vessel estimated departure used for the rate.

Inclusion status: Mark whether PSS is included in the provider’s total or added separately.

This structure prevents three frequent errors. The first is applying a West Mediterranean origin list to an East Mediterranean shipment. The second is using USD for a Syria-origin booking. The third is multiplying a 40-foot container by two as though the charge were per TEU.

Other costs still require separate lines. Basic ocean freight, feeder charges, terminal handling, storage, customs-transit work, inland transportation, reefer services, and destination charges may apply. The PSS notice should not be presented as a complete freight quotation.

If a shipment contains origins in Turkey and Syria, separate the bookings and currencies. For example, two listed dry containers from Turkey would be checked at two times USD 250, while one listed container from Syria would be checked at EUR 220. Do not add the currencies before applying an agreed exchange-rate date for internal budgeting.

Changing a warehouse or loading port can alter the rate tier and operating cost. Before moving cargo to avoid a surcharge, compare transport to the new port, handling, storage, customs treatment, booking amendments, schedule, and delivery risk. A lower PSS does not guarantee a lower total.

East, West, and China-direct comparisons

Routing description	Correct first question	What not to assume
East Mediterranean origin to U.S./Canada	Which listed country and equipment apply?	That every origin uses USD 250
Syria origin to U.S./Canada	Is the EUR 220 tier confirmed?	That it can be recorded as USD 250
West Mediterranean origin	Which separate West Mediterranean notice applies?	That the East origin list controls
China-direct cargo transshipping in the region	What is the contractual rate origin?	That a transit call creates East Mediterranean origin
Cargo rebooked after regional warehousing	Is a new ocean booking created locally?	That manufacturing origin decides the tariff

The table is a routing filter, not a rate quote. Even when the East Mediterranean announcement applies, the shipment’s live rate, service availability, and additional costs need confirmation. When another carrier is used, its own tariff and notice control.

Currency handling deserves a separate audit. Preserve the source-currency charge on the carrier cost sheet. If the company budgets in another currency, add the exchange-rate source and date in a separate column. This avoids disputes caused by silently replacing EUR 220 with a rounded dollar amount.

Invoice review should also compare the container count. Split shipments, rolled boxes, and cancelled equipment can make the final loaded quantity different from the original booking. Apply the charge to the carrier-confirmed in-scope containers and investigate any cancelled or duplicate line.

Summary and booking checklist

The October 7, 2026 East Mediterranean PSS uses two origin tiers: USD 250 per listed container from Bulgaria, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Lebanon, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine, and EUR 220 per listed container from Syria. The listed equipment is all 20-foot, all 40/45-foot high dry, and 40-foot high reefer containers.

Before approving the booking or invoice:

• Identify the contractual ocean-rate origin country.
• Keep East and West Mediterranean announcements separate.
• Confirm that the destination is the United States or Canada.
• Record every container’s size, type, and quantity.
• Use a per-container calculation, not a TEU calculation.
• Preserve USD 250 or EUR 220 in the source currency.
• Identify Spot or non-Spot booking status.
• Confirm whether FMC treatment applies.
• Record the exact first-water, gate-in, or first-vessel date basis.
• Recheck pricing after a schedule, port, or booking change.
• Mark whether the PSS is included in the quotation.
• Separate base freight, feeder, terminal, inland, and local charges.
• Reconcile final loaded equipment against the invoice.

Frequently asked questions:

Can Turkey and Syria origins both be budgeted at USD 250? No. Turkey is in the USD 250 tier, while Syria is listed separately at EUR 220.

Is a listed 40-foot container charged USD 500? No. The notice uses a per-container basis and lists USD 250 for the covered origin group.

Does a transshipment call create East Mediterranean origin? Not automatically. Check the contractual rate origin and whether a new local ocean booking was formed.

Official source and routing support

Read the Maersk East Mediterranean to United States and Canada PSS announcement. The carrier’s current booking, tariff, and later update should control a live shipment.

YANCHAO can help organize multi-origin cargo, container records, booking versions, currencies, and segment-level costs. The notice provides a dated surcharge snapshot, not a live all-in quote. Actual routes, capacity, transit time, restrictions, and total price must be checked when cargo is ready.