Congestion surcharge complaints are purely a SOB story

ALAN PEAT
THE MARKET glee at the end of the contentious port congestion surcharge in Durban – termed by shipping lines as the “SA port additional (SAPA)” – has been tempered by complaints that FTW readers are still being charged.
But further investigation has revealed that complaints relate purely to a misunderstanding of the date of implementation, as Durban-based traffic manager of MSC, Dallas Sutton, explained.
“The end of our congestion surcharge comes for all shipments whose shipped on-board (SOB) bills of lading are dated May 1 or after.
“For all shipments before that date the SAPA still applies.”
A similar response was also received from the marketing manager of the SA agents of another of the major lines on the Far East trade.
This FTW contact said that he had received a call from an “irate shipper” who was complaining about still having to pay for a shipment arriving after the mid-April announcement by individual lines and the conferences that the surcharge was to go.
“The cargo was on the water at that time,” said the agency executive, “and the SOB date from the source country was obviously well before our applicable cut-off date.”
So, the message to readers who may still be finding a congestion surcharge on their accounts from lines, check with the sea carrier of choice what SOB date applies as far as they’re concerned.