East Coast South America PSS Checklist

What the new surcharge covers

Maersk announced on September 8, 2026 that it is introducing or revising a Peak Season Surcharge for dry-container shipments from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. The effective date is Price Calculation Date October 8, 2026. The published rate is USD 1,000 per container to the West Coast of South America and USD 500 per container to the Caribbean and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The first decision is not simply whether a shipment “touches South America.” The relevant shipment must start in one of the four listed origin countries, use an in-scope Maersk dry-container movement, and travel to one of the named destination regions. A China-origin shipment that merely connects through the region is not automatically covered. If cargo is stored, repacked, or rebooked in South America, the commercial origin of the affected ocean leg must be verified from the booking and rate.

The charging basis is per container, not per TEU and not per bill of lading. One covered 40-foot dry container is therefore one chargeable container under the announcement; it is not automatically doubled because it represents two TEU. Three covered dry containers to the West Coast of South America would produce a published PSS scenario of USD 3,000. The same three containers to the Caribbean or U.S. Gulf would produce USD 1,500. These examples calculate only the announced PSS, not the total freight price.

Maersk also states that other applicable surcharges, including local and contingency charges, may apply. A quote should keep basic ocean freight, this PSS, local charges, contingency charges, inland transport, terminal handling, and any cargo-specific services on separate lines. The announcement is a rate notice, not an all-in quotation.

How the three PCD rules work

PCD means Price Calculation Date. It determines which version of a rate applies, but the triggering event changes with the booking type and regulatory context.

For a non-FMC, non-Spot booking, Maersk defines PCD as the scheduled departure date of the first water leg at the time of booking confirmation. The important evidence is therefore the booking confirmation and the first ocean or feeder leg shown when the booking was confirmed. An inquiry date, sales quotation date, warehouse delivery, or later transatlantic departure is not a substitute for that stated basis.

For an FMC-regulated non-Spot booking, PCD is the last container gate-in date. Multi-container shipments need special attention. If containers enter on different days, the team should record the gate-in event for every box and confirm which event the carrier uses for the rate. A general statement that “the shipment entered the port before October 8” is too imprecise when one container arrived later.

For a Spot booking, the announcement states that PCD is the booking-confirmation date. This differs from notices that use a vessel’s estimated departure for Spot cargo. Teams should apply the wording of this specific announcement instead of carrying a date rule over from another trade.

The most useful written question to the rate provider is: “Which PCD category applies to this booking, what is the exact calculation date, and will a schedule, gate-in, or booking amendment change it?” The reply should identify the booking number, affected leg, equipment, and container count. Saving that evidence makes invoice review much easier.

Service-contract cargo may require another check. The notice explains that, for trades subject to the U.S. Shipping Act or China Maritime Regulations, a quotation or surcharge differing from the relevant Maersk tariff is not binding unless it is included in an applicable filed service contract or amendment. Commercial teams should verify the contract record rather than relying on an informal email exception.

Put the charge on the correct transport leg

A multi-leg shipment can contain factory pickup, a China export leg, South American storage or processing, an East Coast South America ocean leg, transshipment, and destination delivery. The PSS should be assigned only to the leg that meets the stated origin, destination, carrier, equipment, and PCD conditions.

Use a four-field control card:

Route: Record the actual origin country and port for the affected water leg, followed by the destination region. Do not use a broad label such as “Americas routing.”

Equipment: List each dry container by size and container number. Separate reefer, open-top, flat-rack, or other special equipment until the carrier confirms treatment.

Date: Mark the booking as Spot or non-Spot, identify whether FMC rules apply, and write the exact PCD event and date.

Cost: Separate ocean freight, the per-container PSS, local charges, contingency charges, and any inland or terminal items. Include currency, unit, quantity, validity, and payer.

Suppose a consolidated project uses two dry containers from Brazil to the West Coast of South America and one dry container from Uruguay to the Caribbean. The two Brazil containers should be checked against the USD 1,000 tier, while the Uruguay container should be checked against the USD 500 tier. Treating all three containers as one destination tier would overstate or understate the surcharge.

Rebooking can also change the analysis. If cargo initially planned for the Caribbean is redirected to a West Coast South America destination, the relevant tier changes. If the booking type changes from a negotiated non-Spot arrangement to Spot, the PCD rule may also change. The rate should be reconfirmed before the operational change is accepted.

Forwarders can help map booking references, container counts, and cost lines, but the carrier’s confirmed tariff and contract determine the billed amount. The shipper remains responsible for providing accurate routing and equipment information. A clean responsibility chain should show who supplies the data, who obtains the rate confirmation, who authorizes a change, and who checks the final invoice.

Comparing the USD 500 and USD 1,000 tiers

Check	West Coast South America	Caribbean and U.S. Gulf Coast
Listed origins	Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina	Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina
Equipment	All dry containers	All dry containers
Charge basis	Per container	Per container
Published PSS	USD 1,000	USD 500
Effective basis	PCD October 8, 2026	PCD October 8, 2026
Other costs	Local, contingency, and other applicable charges may apply	Local, contingency, and other applicable charges may apply

The table shows why the destination region must be preserved at container level. A single purchase order can generate several bookings or destination splits. Finance should not multiply the total number of containers by one tier unless every container shares the same affected route.

It is equally important not to use this table for China-direct cargo, reefers, another carrier, or an unlisted destination. A similar phrase such as “Gulf” can also cause mistakes. Confirm that the booking destination falls within the U.S. Gulf Coast scope intended by the carrier rather than assuming every gulf-region port is included.

Changing routes solely to avoid the PSS requires a complete comparison. A new port can introduce trucking, feeder, storage, handling, customs-transit, amendment, and delay costs. Compare the same container count, cargo readiness date, delivery requirement, free-time assumptions, and risk of a missed connection. Moving a charge to another part of the route is not necessarily a saving.

Summary and quote checklist

The announcement creates two destination-based PSS tiers for all dry containers from four East Coast South America origins. The charge is USD 1,000 per container to the West Coast of South America and USD 500 per container to the Caribbean and U.S. Gulf Coast, effective PCD October 8, 2026. PCD is based on the first-water-leg scheduled departure for non-FMC non-Spot cargo, the last container gate-in for FMC non-Spot cargo, and booking confirmation for Spot cargo.

Before approving a rate or invoice:

• Confirm Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, or Argentina as the rate origin.
• Identify the exact destination region for every container.
• Verify that the equipment is a dry container.
• Count containers rather than converting the PSS to TEU.
• Mark the booking as Spot or non-Spot.
• Confirm whether FMC regulation applies.
• Record the exact PCD event and date.
• Keep the original booking confirmation and later amendments.
• Separate the USD 500 or USD 1,000 PSS from base freight.
• List local, contingency, terminal, and inland costs separately.
• Check any service-contract exception in the filed contract or amendment.
• Reconfirm the rate after destination, equipment, booking-type, or schedule changes.

Frequently asked questions:

Is a 40-foot dry container charged twice because it equals two TEU? No. This notice uses a per-container basis, so a covered 40-foot dry container is one chargeable container for this PSS.

Does a quotation issued before October 8 guarantee the old rate? Not by itself. The relevant PCD depends on whether the booking is Spot, non-Spot, FMC-regulated, or non-FMC.

Does China-origin cargo incur the PSS if it passes through Brazil? Not automatically. Confirm whether the booking creates an affected dry-container leg originating in Brazil and ending in a named destination region.

Official source and shipment support

See the carrier’s East Coast South America PSS announcement. The current booking confirmation, tariff, and applicable contract should control the actual charge.

YANCHAO can help organize container counts, booking confirmations, route segments, and quoted cost lines for multi-leg international shipments. The published surcharge is a dated source snapshot, not a live all-in quote. Actual routes, capacity, transit time, restrictions, and total price need to be checked when cargo is ready.