Nigerian importers face higher costs this season as French shipping giant CMA CGM has introduced a $500 peak season surcharge on cargo headed to Nigeria and other West African ports.

In a notice on its website, the company said the surcharge applies to shipments from North-East Asia, South-East Asia, China, and Hong Kong & Macau SAR, starting September 15 and lasting until further notice.

The fee, limited to twenty-foot equivalent unit containers under short-term contracts, covers both dry and reefer cargoes.

“In a continued effort to provide our customers with reliable and efficient services, CMA CGM informs its customers of the following Peak Season Surcharge starting from September 15, 2025, until further notice. Origin range: From North-East Asia, South-East Asia, China, and Hong Kong & Macau SAR. Destination range: West Africa. Cargo: Dry & Reefer. Amounts: $500 per TEU. Applicable on short-term contracts,” the notice stated.

Reacting to the development, former interim National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr. Pius Ujubuonu, faulted the Nigerian Shippers Council, accusing it of lacking a proper understanding of the sector’s operations.

Ujubuonu, who is also the Head of Planning and Strategy at ANLCA, said, “That is absolute exploitation. Peak Service Surcharge is supposed to be to their own advantage that they are having more transactions within the period of time they are having more transactions. Instead of raking in the profit, they now want to exploit the people who are at that particular time they are having boom on but instead of them enjoying the boom, they want to punish their customers.

“Just like the bill they charge for the War Risk Insurance Premium. The problem we are facing is that we have a Nigerian Shippers Council that is unsure of what steps to take and what not to take. Thank you for bringing my attention to that. We will call the attention of the NSC to it.”

Also commenting, the Deputy President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr. Segun Musa, stressed the need for clarity, saying, “I think most importantly, we need to actually know what that means.

“It is going to add to the cost of doing business, and it is going to frustrate the efforts of the government in reducing the cost of doing business in the port. I think the stakeholders we have to meet and discuss and look more into the implications it will cause, it might look small, but it is a lot of money when you add it to the cost of importing into Nigeria.”