August 11, 2025
Recently, some shipping companies have launched a new round of freight rate adjustment plans for mid-August. Among them, a major shipping company continues to adjust the rates of some routes and has started to impose Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) and other fees.
The major shipping company issued a notice stating that starting from August 16, 2025, it will impose a Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) on goods shipped from Asia and Oceania to Southwest Africa. This fee applies to all goods loaded on and after that date until further notice.
The involved ports in Southwest Africa include: Luanda, Lobito, Namibe, Cabinda, Soyo (Angola); Pointe-Noire (Republic of the Congo); Matadi, Boma (Democratic Republic of the Congo); Libreville, Port-Gentil (Gabon); Bata, Malabo (Equatorial Guinea); Kribi, Douala (Cameroon); and Walvis Bay (Namibia).
The PSS collection standards for this region are as follows:
All container types, except refrigerated containers, are charged at $600/TEU;
Refrigerated containers shipped to Cameroon are charged at $800/TEU.
Meanwhile, the major shipping company also announced that it will impose a Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) on goods shipped from Asia and Oceania to South Africa, which also applies to all goods loaded on and after August 16, 2025, until further notice. The charge standard is $200/TEU, covering all types of containers (except refrigerated containers).
In recent weeks, freight rates have entered a volatile period, especially the US route, where the decline is significant, dropping by more than 60% and 50% respectively compared to the recent peaks. The traditional foreign trade peak season, which usually starts gradually in August in previous years, is still in a wait-and-see stage. Affected by tariff changes and coupled with the pressure of the economic downward cycle, the wait-and-see sentiment in the current market is strong. The rise or fall of future freight rates will essentially depend on the support of cargo volume.
