Maersk Raises Inland Fuel Surcharges in North America as Middle East Crisis Disrupts Global Refining

Maersk announced concurrent fuel surcharge increases across North American inland operations on March 30, citing geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East that have forced multiple refineries offline and reduced export capacity, creating bottlenecks in global fuel supply chains. The Denmark-based carrier will adjust its Inland Fuel Surcharge (IFS/EFS) and Intermodal Multi Carrier Fuel Index (MCI) in Canada effective April 10 for non-FMC shipments and April 18 for FMC shipments. For truck movements, the surcharge will be levied at 14% of inland haulage costs, calculated against Natural Resources Canada's published weekly average retail diesel prices. Rail movements will face a 12% surcharge based on a weighted average of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Canadian National (CN) fuel indices. In Mexico, Maersk implemented a more modest 5% surcharge on inland haulage effective April 1, applying uniformly across all inland services and transportation modalities. The divergent rate structures underscore varying cost pressures across regions. Canadian inland haulage, which relies heavily on truck and rail networks spanning large geographic distances, faces steeper surcharges than Mexico's relatively concentrated inland corridors. Both initiatives cite identical root causes: refinery outages and reduced export capacity in the Middle East, a critical global refining hub that supplies roughly one-third of the world's petroleum products. "Additional adjustments may be required as conditions continue to evolve," Maersk stated in both announcements, signaling that fuel cost pressures may persist beyond initial implementation dates. ## Industry Impact The announcements carry immediate implications for North American shippers and supply chains already navigating elevated freight costs. Maersk's dual surcharge structure highlights how regional geopolitical disruptions propagate across integrated logistics networks, raising operating costs for inland drayage, intermodal rail, and distribution networks that feed port operations. For importers and exporters relying on intermodal services to move containers inland from ports in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Montreal, Los Angeles, and Long Beach, the Canada surcharges represent a significant cost vector. A 14% truck surcharge on inland haulage could add hundreds of dollars per container depending on distance, while the 12% rail surcharge may incentivize modal shifts toward truck for shorter inland movements—potentially offsetting the surcharge intended to manage fuel volatility. The short notice—11 to 19 days before implementation—gives shippers limited time to adjust booking strategies or renegotiate service contracts. Industry observers expect competing carriers and non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) to announce similar adjustments within days. ## Context Fuel surcharges remain essential pricing mechanisms in maritime and inland logistics, where diesel represents a major operating cost subject to volatile global markets. Maersk and other carriers typically adjust surcharges quarterly or when significant market disruptions occur. The current Middle East geopolitical situation—which has constrained Suez Canal traffic in recent months and reduced refinery throughput—represents one of the most significant fuel supply shocks since 2022. Canadian and Mexican inland operations are critical to North American supply chains, moving approximately 40% of U.S.-bound import containers to inland distribution centers. Higher surcharges on these movements will likely elevate transportation costs across consumer goods, automotive, and industrial sectors dependent on just-in-time inventory replenishment.