Peak Season Surcharges
The Peak Season Surcharges will be applicable for cargo moving Trans-Pacific from Asia effective June 15, 2006 through November 30, 2006. The details are as follows:

Peak Season Surcharges
20' Container USD 300
40' Container USD 400
40' HC Container USD 450
45' Container USD 505

 
Eastbound Trans-Pacific Bunker & Inland Fuel Surcharges
Bunker and inland fuel surcharges in the eastbound Trans-Pacific trades are scheduled to change. The surcharges will cover the period of July 1, 2006 ‚ July 31, 2006:

Calculation of both surcharges is based on a 4-week average of fuel prices and is adjusted on a monthly basis.

 
Westbound Trans-Pacific Bunker Surcharges

Bunker surcharges in the westbound Trans-Pacific trades are scheduled to change. The following bunker surcharges will cover the period of July 1, 2006 ‚ July 31, 2006:

Calculation of the surcharge is based on a 4-week average of marine fuel prices and is adjusted on a monthly basis.

 
Trans-Atlantic Fuel Surcharge Rates Unchanged

The Trans-Atlantic Conference Agreement's bunker adjustment factor will be unchanged until August 15th. Effective July 16th through at least August 15th, TACA's currency adjustment factor will be adjusted to 8 percent. TACA members are Atlantic Container Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co., Maersk Line, NYK, and OOCL.

 
Wood Packaging Enforcement
As of July 5, 2006, full enforcement of all articles of regulated Wood Packing Materials entering the USA and North America is being strictly implemented. Non compliant regulated WPM will not be allowed to enter the US.

Wood packaging must be identified with the ISPM 15 mark as specified below:

 
57% of Vessels Arrive On-time
Only 57 percent of all liner vessels arrived on schedule between December 2005 and April 2006, according to an ongoing survey conducted by Drewry Shipping Consultants, a maritime consulting firm based in London.

Twenty-two percent of all vessels arrive one day after the scheduled day, 7 percent make it two days late and 12 percent of vessels call at the port of arrival three or more days late.

"Of the 63 international liner carriers whose vessel schedule reliability we monitor, only 16 have on-time vessel arrivals of 60 percent or more," said Philip Damas, lead researcher at Drewry. "This indicates that a large section of the industry still does not operate with the sort of predictable, reliable schedules which most shippers need."