Maersk has waived its transit disruption surcharge on a recent Red Sea sailing from India to the US east coast, reports London's S&P Global.

The Singapore-flagged 6,648-TEU Maersk Sebarok departed Nhava Sheva on 12 December and transited the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on December 18. The surcharge, typically US$200 per TEU and $450 per FEU, was introduced in January 2024 after vessels were rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope due to Houthi attacks in Yemen.

Forwarder sources said the surcharge was usually applied to Indian contract customers, while global accounts negotiated special rates. CMA CGM confirmed it did not impose similar charges on its Indamex service.

The waiver suggests Maersk's major clients were informed in advance of the Sebarok's Red Sea passage, given insurance concerns. Industry data shows Maersk handled about 231,000 TEU out of 1.3 million TEU shipped from India to the US through November, giving it nearly 18 per cent of the market.

Despite the waiver, schedule disruptions continue. Sources reported four blank sailings in January across CMA CGM, MSC and ONE networks. Maersk said its MECL vessel for Week 4, the 6,188-TEU Maersk Hartford, will omit Mundra and Pipavav, with cargo transshipped via the 4,400-TEU extra-loader Ren Jian 26 at Salalah.

Rates on the India-US east coast trade have slipped from $1,440 per FEU earlier this month to $1,300 as of 29 December, according to Platts, part of S&P Global.