North Europe to Indian Subcontinent PSS

What the USD 100 per TEU notice covers

CMA CGM announced on September 7, 2026 a Peak Season Surcharge from North Europe base ports to all Indian Subcontinent ports. The measure applies from September 21, 2026, based on the date of loading at origin ports, and continues until further notice. The published level is USD 100 per TEU.

The listed cargo scope includes dry cargo, paying empties, out-of-gauge cargo, and reefers. The announcement also states that outports at both ends are subject to additional surcharges. Basic ocean freight is separate, and bunker-related charges, origin and destination terminal handling charges, safety and security charges, contingency charges, and local charges may apply.

Those qualifications are essential. The notice does not describe an all-in North Europe-to-Indian Subcontinent price. It announces one PSS with a specific unit, effective-date rule, and base-port scope. A complete quotation still depends on the exact origin, destination, equipment, cargo, routing, service, and local operations.

The effective event is the loading date at the origin port. Booking date, warehouse receipt, documentation cut-off, and terminal gate-in are useful operational milestones, but they are not the date basis stated in this announcement. If a container planned for loading before September 21 rolls or is rescheduled to a loading date on or after September 21, the shipper should request a price reconfirmation.

How TEU and outport pricing change the calculation

TEU means twenty-foot equivalent unit. A standard 20-foot container is generally one TEU, while a standard 40-foot container is generally two TEU. Under a USD 100-per-TEU surcharge, one in-scope 20-foot container would therefore represent USD 100, and one in-scope 40-foot container would generally represent USD 200. These examples illustrate the published unit; actual equipment conversion and invoicing should be confirmed with the carrier.

This differs from a “per container” notice. If a team copies only the number 100 and omits the unit, it may underbudget a 40-foot container or a booking containing several boxes. The rate sheet should therefore record equipment quantity and TEU quantity separately. A booking of two 40-foot containers would generally equal four TEU for this calculation, not two chargeable units.

Outports add another layer. A base port is a primary port used as the foundation of the announced ocean pricing scope. Cargo beginning or ending at another location may require a feeder, barge, rail, truck, or additional terminal handling to connect with that network. CMA CGM explicitly notes that outports at both ends are subject to additional surcharge.

The phrase “all Indian Subcontinent ports” should not be read as “every final delivery point costs the same.” The PSS may cover the ocean scope described, while a non-base origin, feeder destination, inland point, or door delivery creates separate charges. Ask the provider to identify which location is the ocean-rate origin and destination and which movements are pre-carriage or on-carriage.

Cargo type also influences the full cost. Reefers may need power, monitoring, pre-trip inspection, temperature settings, or special terminal services. OOG cargo may require engineering review, special lifting, lashing, lost-slot compensation, or restricted vessel acceptance. Paying empties are named in the cargo scope, but their overall commercial treatment still depends on the booking. Inclusion in the PSS scope does not mean other cargo-specific costs disappear.

Finally, outport charges can use different units. One may be per TEU, another per container, another per shipment, and an inland move may be based on distance, weight, or equipment. Every quote should show the unit and quantity for each line. Converting everything into a vague “per box” figure makes audit and comparison difficult.

Building an all-in cost model

Begin with basic ocean freight. Record the carrier, service, base origin port, base destination port, equipment, commodity, validity dates, and rate conditions. Keep the basic freight separate from the PSS so that later changes are visible.

Add the PSS using the actual TEU count. Confirm whether the provider’s quotation already contains the announced USD 100 per TEU. If it does, do not add it again. If the quotation predates the notice or the planned loading date changes, obtain written confirmation of whether the price remains valid.

Then add origin-side connection costs. For cargo starting outside the base-port area, these may include trucking, rail, feeder, depot handling, terminal movements, documentation, waiting, tolls, or customs-transit work. Confirm where empty equipment is collected and where the loaded unit is handed over. A door pickup quotation can hide several activities inside one line, while a port quotation may exclude them entirely.

At the ocean terminals, check origin and destination THC as separate items because the announcement says these may apply. Also identify bunker mechanisms, safety and security charges, contingency charges, and local charges. Ask for the currency, charging unit, payer, tax treatment, and validity of each item.

For the destination, distinguish the named port from the final delivery point. If the cargo connects to an outport or inland city, include feeder, rail, truck, terminal, appointment, and delivery charges. Check whether free time, demurrage, detention, storage, and equipment return are included or merely governed by separate tariff rules.

Special cargo needs its own layer. Reefers require confirmation of power and monitoring at each transfer. OOG cargo requires verified dimensions and weights, approved stowage, handling plans, and sometimes escort or special inland permits. Paying empties may have different documentation or operational conditions. The USD 100-per-TEU PSS does not cap any of these items.

Next, price schedule risk. If a missed feeder or late gate-in changes the origin loading date past September 21, the rate may need recalculation. Delays can also trigger storage, equipment time, warehouse charges, production interruption, or customer penalties. These commercial consequences should be considered even when they are not part of the carrier invoice.

For comparison, normalize competing quotations. Use the same origin, final destination, equipment, cargo, planned loading date, free-time assumption, and currency. Mark charges that are confirmed, estimated, excluded, or subject to later tariff. A cheaper headline ocean rate may not remain cheaper after outport connections and local charges are added.

Keep the documentary evidence. Save the official notice, quotation, booking confirmation, schedule amendments, loading confirmation, and final invoice. When an amount changes, this record makes it possible to identify whether the cause was the effective date, TEU quantity, outport status, special cargo, or another surcharge.

Base-port and outport cost comparison

Cost element	Base-port shipment	Outport or inland shipment
Basic ocean freight	Applies separately from the PSS	Applies, often with an additional connection
Peak Season Surcharge	USD 100 per TEU within announced scope	Same scope test, plus stated outport surcharge
Pre-carriage	May be limited if cargo starts at port	Truck, rail, feeder, or barge may be required
Terminal handling	Origin and destination THC may apply	Additional terminals or transfers may be involved
Cargo-specific service	Depends on dry, reefer, empty, or OOG needs	Same needs plus connection compatibility
Delay exposure	Main-vessel and terminal milestones	Additional feeder or inland connection risk
Quote clarity needed	Rate and surcharge breakdown	Handover points, units, and exclusions are critical

A second useful comparison is charging unit. The PSS is per TEU. A terminal charge may be per container. Documentation may be per bill. Storage may be per container per day. Trucking may be per trip. Finance should not multiply every charge by the TEU count or every charge by the number of containers without first checking its unit.

The source and destination labels also need precision. “North Europe” and “Indian Subcontinent” describe regional scope, but the actual quote needs named ports and, where relevant, postal addresses. A provider cannot reliably price outport connections from regional labels alone.

Summary and quote-check checklist

The announced surcharge is USD 100 per TEU from North Europe base ports to all Indian Subcontinent ports, effective for origin loading dates from September 21, 2026 until further notice. Dry cargo, paying empties, OOG, and reefers are listed. Outports at both ends have additional surcharge exposure, while basic freight and several other charge families remain separate.

Use this checklist before approving a shipment budget:

• Confirm the carrier and the exact North Europe origin port.
• Identify whether the origin is a base port or an outport.
• Name the Indian Subcontinent destination port and final delivery point.
• Identify any destination outport, feeder, or inland connection.
• Record the actual or planned origin loading date.
• Reconfirm pricing if a schedule change crosses September 21, 2026.
• Count containers and convert equipment to TEU correctly.
• Identify dry, paying empty, OOG, or reefer cargo.
• Check whether the USD 100-per-TEU PSS is already included.
• List basic ocean freight separately.
• Itemize bunker, THC, safety, security, contingency, and local charges.
• Add reefer, OOG, feeder, inland, storage, and equipment-time costs where relevant.
• Record the unit, currency, validity, and payer for every line.
• Compare quotations on the same origin-to-final-destination basis.

Frequently asked questions:

Is a 40-foot container charged only USD 100? Generally no. Because the announced unit is USD 100 per TEU and a standard 40-foot container generally represents two TEU, the PSS scenario is usually USD 200. Confirm the equipment conversion and invoice.

Does the PSS include basic ocean freight? No. The announcement states that basic freight is separate and identifies several other charge types that may apply.

Why does an outport shipment cost more? It normally needs an additional feeder or inland connection and related handling. The notice specifically states that outports at both ends are subject to additional surcharge.

Official notice and live shipment assessment

Read the complete CMA CGM PSS notice from North Europe to the Indian Subcontinent. The carrier’s later updates, tariff, and confirmed booking rate should control the actual shipment.

YANCHAO can help organize the origin, destination, dimensions, weights, commodity, equipment, and shipping window needed to compare international transport choices. The USD 100-per-TEU figure is an official announcement snapshot, not a current all-in quote. Routes, capacity, transit time, restrictions, and total charges must be checked at the time of shipment.