The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received three new formal complaints in August 2025 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations.

Unreasonable Shipment Handling Practices – FMC Docket No. 25-15:  Worldwide Nexus Logistics, LLC, a Florida-based logistics provider, filed a formal complaint against Wallenius Wilhelmsen alleging various violations of the U.S. Shipping Act.

Specifically, Worldwide Nexus alleges that in December 2023 they shipped ro/ro cargo with Wallenius Wilhelmsen from various US locations to San Antonio, Chile. Worldwide Nexus claims the cargo never reached Chile due to Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s failure to provide proper documentation for transit through Peru. According to Worldwide Nexus, Wallenius Wilhelmsen originally took responsibility for the error and offered a settlement but later withdrew the settlement offer.

As a result of Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s actions, Worldwide Nexus alleges that they suffered at least $240,902.90 in damages.

Worldwide Nexus requests the Commission investigate Wallenius Wilhelmsen, find that the carrier violated the Shipping Act, and order the carrier to pay reparations, including interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and provide any other further relief that the FMC deems appropriate.

Unreasonable Shipment Handling Practices – FMC Docket No. 25-16:  IWG International Wood Group of SC, a South Carolina-based wood exporter, and Honest Trading International LLC, a Georgia-based distributor, filed a formal complaint against DB Schenker USA, Inc. alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act.

Specifically, IWG and Honest allege that DB Schenker failed to properly handle shipment documentation including letters of credit, original bills of lading, and certificates of origin. These failures led to shipment delays. As a result of these delays, IWG and Honest suffered financial losses of at least $151,000 and reputational damage.

IWG and Honest request the Commission to order DB Schenker to cease and desist from the unlawful conduct, to implement lawful document handling practices, and to pay reparations for their unlawful conduct and any other amounts the FMC deems appropriate.

Shipment Act Violations – FMC Docket No. 25-24:  Southern International Co., Ltd., a Vietnam-based FMC-registered Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), filed a formal complaint against Daynamez Group of Companies LLC, a Virginia-based logistics agent, alleging various violations of the U.S. Shipping Act.

Specifically, Southern International alleges that in late 2023 they entered into an agency agreement with Daynamez. Daynamez allegedly promised to source preferential pricing for Southern International’s shipments out of Vietnam and assist with bookings. According to Southern International, despite paying Daynamez timely for all shipments, Daynamez often delayed payments to vendors resulting in shipment delays. In October 2024, Southern International claims that despite having received full payment of all shipments Daynamez abruptly ceased paying all vendors and directed the vendors to pursue Southern International for payment. Southern International was forced to make additional payments to obtain cargo release for many shipments.

As a result of Daynamez’s actions, Southern International alleges that they suffered over $2.6 million in damages in addition to substantial reputational harm.

Southern International requests the Commission order Daynamez to cease and desist from the unlawful conduct, to implement lawful practices, and to pay reparations for their unlawful conduct and any other amounts the FMC deems appropriate.

For more details visit the FMC’s online reading room. The FMC’s reading room provides access to FMC dockets, related documents, notices, and orders.

Members of the West Coast Marine Terminal Operators Agreement (WCMTOA) announced that the PierPass fee increased on August 1, 2025 by 2.84 percent. The fees increased from USD 37.71 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and USD 75.42 per FEU (forty-foot equivalent unit) to USD 38.78 per TEU and USD 77.56 for all other container sizes, respectively.

This fee is called the PierPass Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) and applies for both day and night cargo, across all hours of operation. The TMF applies to non-exempt containers. Exempt containers include empty containers, import cargo or export cargo that transits the Alameda Corridor in a container and is subject to a fee imposed by the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, and transshipment cargo. Empty chassis and bobtail trucks are also exempt from the TMF. PierPass does not set a fee for less-than-container load (LCL) shipments. NVOCCs who impose a PierPass fee for LCL shipments and/or a PierPass handling fee must file these fees in their FMC tariff rules or clearly note these in their tariff rates or NVOCC Negotiated Rate Arrangements (NRAs).

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) first authorized The West Coast Marine Terminal Operators Agreement (WCMTOA) under FMC Agreement No. 201143 in June 2003. In 2005 the WCMTOA was amended to allow its members to create PierPass, Inc. and to implement the “OffPeak” program. The OffPeak program’s goal is to reduce severe cargo-related congestion on streets and highways around the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. The OffPeak program established regular weekday night and Saturday work shifts to handle trucks delivering and picking up containers at marine terminals and implemented the PierPass TMF. In November 2018 the FMC approved the change of the TMF to the current flat fee for container moves on all shifts, known as PierPass 2.0.

Several carriers serving the East Asia/USA trade lanes (U.S. Imports) have adjusted fuel surcharges effective October 1 through December 31, 2025. Details are as follows.

NOTE 1:  CMA CGM calls the above surcharge the Bunker Adjustment Factor Surcharge (BAF03), Tariff Rule No. 010.08. Low Sulphur Surcharge IMO2020 (LSS20) is not applicable at this time.

NOTE 2:  COSCO calls the above surcharge the Bunker Charge (BUC), Tariff Rule No. 010-003.

NOTE 3: HMM calls the above charge the Bunker Charge, tariff Rule 2-63. HMM also filed in its FMC tariff Rule 2-95, Environmental Compliance Charge (ECC), effective October 1, 2025. The ECC amounts are USD 120/134/150/169 per 20/40/40HC/45ft, respectively, for destination USWC/USWC Local/IPI/MLB; and USD 180/200/225/253 per 20/40/40HC/45ft, respectively, for destination USEC (all water)/USGC/RIPI.

NOTE 4:  ONE calls the above surcharge the ONE Bunker Surcharge (OBS). Any reference to Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) or Fuel Adjustment Factor (FAF) within a duly filed service contract shall be construed as referencing the same surcharge as ONE Bunker Surcharge (OBS) as detailed within Tariff Rule No. 102.001, whether as an exception or as a reference to this charge.

NOTE 5:  OOCL calls the above surcharge the Fuel Cost Recovery Charge (T-62). The Fuel Cost Recovery Charge will not apply to shipments when Bunker Surcharge and/or Low Sulphur Fuel Surcharge and/or Low Sulphur Adjustment Charge are already applied or included in the base rate.

NOTE 6:  ZIM calls the above surcharge the New Bunker Factor – Far East (NBF), Tariff Rule No. 010-NB. Service contract cargoes subject to Carrier’s published BAF and/or EBS shall not be subject to NBF. The above bunker amounts have been effective since May 1, 2025.

NOTE 7:  Subject to Low Sulphur Fuel Charge (LSF or LSS).

NOTE 8:  Updated on a monthly basis.

Each carrier maintains its own tariffs and controls its own pricing.

Several carriers serving the USA/East Asia trade lanes (U.S. Exports) have adjusted their fuel surcharges for the October to December 2025 quarter. Here is a table of carriers that have posted BAF amounts:

NOTE 1:  CMA CGM calls the above Bunker surcharge the Bunker Adjustment Factor Surcharge (BAF-03), tariff Rule No. 010.4. Low Sulphur Surcharge IMO2020 (LSS20) is not applicable at this time.

NOTE 2: COSCO calls the above surcharge the Bunker Surcharge (BUC), tariff Rule No. 010-001. The above Bunker amounts have been effective since July 1, 2025.

NOTE 3:  HMM calls the above charge the Bunker Surcharge (BUC) Rule No. 10-02A. HMM also filed in its FMC tariff Rule 10-02F, Environmental Compliance Charge (ECC), effective October 1, 2025. The ECC amounts are USD 42/84/84/84 per 20/40/40HC/45ft, respectively, for dry cargo moving via West Coast; and USD 19/38/38/38 per 20/40/40HC/45ft, respectively, for dry cargo moving via East Coast, Gulf.

NOTE 4:  ONE calls the above surcharge the ONE Bunker Surcharge (OBS). Any reference to Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) or Fuel Adjustment Factor (FAF) within a duly filed service contract shall be construed as referencing the same surcharge as ONE Bunker Surcharge (OBS) as detailed within Tariff Rule No. 102.001, whether as an exception or as a reference to this charge.

NOTE 5:  OOCL calls the surcharge the Fuel Cost Recovery Charge (T-62). The Fuel Cost Recovery Charge will not apply to shipments when Bunker Surcharge and/or Low Sulphur Fuel Surcharge and/or Low Sulphur Adjustment Charge are already applied or included in the base rate.

NOTE 6:  Yang Ming calls the above surcharge the New Bunker Charge, Tariff Rule No. 10-AH.

NOTE 7:  ZIM calls the above surcharge the New Bunker Factor – Far East (NBF), Tariff Rule No. 010-NB. The above bunker amounts have been effective since May 1, 2025.

NOTE 8:  Subject to Low Sulphur Fuel Charge (LSF or LSS).

NOTE 9:  Updated on a monthly basis.

Each carrier maintains its own tariffs and controls its own pricing.

Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective September 15, 2025, including CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, HMM Company Limited, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Yang Ming, and ZIM. See table below for GRI amounts per 40ft container; GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. The September 15th GRIs will be the eighteenth GRI of 2025 for the East Asia/USA trade lane. 

NOTE 1:  COSCO GRIs apply on all cargo moving under service contracts only.   

NOTE 2:  Evergreen GRIs will be USD 3000 per 40ft container for dry cargo, and USD 3000 per reefer container. GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. 

Some carriers also updated their tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective October 1, 2025, including CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, HMM Company Limited, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Yang Ming, and ZIM. See table below for GRI amounts per 40ft container; GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. The October 1st GRIs will be the nineteenth GRI of 2025 for the East Asia/USA trade lane. 

NOTE 1:  COSCO GRIs apply on all cargo moving under service contracts only.   

NOTE 2:  Evergreen GRIs will be USD 3000 per 40ft container for dry cargo, and USD 3000 per reefer container. GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. 

Each carrier maintains its own tariffs and controls its own pricing.

The information contained herein is obtained from reliable sources. It is subject to change at any time, however, depending on changes in laws and regulations. While we continually attempt to monitor this information, we do not guarantee its accuracy and are not responsible for any damages suffered by any party in reliance on it.