A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, owner of the world’s biggest container shipping line, and 14 other carriers will seek a peak-season surcharge two months later than previously scheduled amid weaker-than-expected demand.
The shipping lines will ask customers to pay an additional fee for cargo to the U.S. from Asia, the 15-member Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said in an e-mailed statement dated Aug. 3. The group had said in November it would impose a $400 per 40- foot container surcharge from June 15.
Maersk and the other 14 member lines refrained from adding surcharges in June and July, a sign that the seasonal increase in demand as U.S. retailers restock for back-to-school and holiday shopping periods is weaker than usual.