Maersk Line postpones Asia-Europe surcharge

Tuesday, 5 June 2012 00:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

COPENHAGEN (Reuters): Maersk Line, the container shipping division of Danish oil and shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk, has postponed a peak-season surcharge on key routes between Asia and Europe in response to a significant softening of market conditions, Lloyd’s List said on Friday.

The world’s biggest container shipping company has advised customers that the planned levy of $350 per 20-foot equivalent unit will take effect on June 15 instead of June 1, the daily shipping paper said. The industry has been hit hard during the global economic downturn as weak demand and excess capacity has knocked freight rates to loss-making levels.

“In recent weeks, evidence of a distinct slowdown in liftings from Asia to Europe has started to emerge, with some forecasters anticipating an actual decline in 2012 liftings compared with last year,” Lloyd’s List said.

A.P. Moller-Maersk said last month that it expected the group’s 2012 results to be “slightly lower” than 2011 and “negative up to neutral” for Maersk Line.

Maersk Line said on Friday that it would cut about 400 jobs as part of a restructuring of The business.

A key objective of the reorganisation was faster decision making and about 250 of the job cuts would be at its Copenhagen headquarters, the group said in a statement.