Maersk Raises UK And Ireland Inland Fuel Surcharge To 20%

Maersk will raise its emergency fuel surcharge for inland transport in the UK and Ireland to 20% from 12 October 2026, citing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The Danish shipping and logistics group announced the change on 8 October, according to Reuters, and said the rate would be reviewed regularly. The increase concerns inland transportation rather than ocean freight rates.

For fresh produce businesses using the affected services, the change could increase the cost of moving containers inland and make transport budgeting more difficult.

Maersk's earlier UK customer advisory, published on 18 September, set an intermodal fuel fee of 10.6% for truck or rail from 1 October. It warned that higher rates could apply to customers with bespoke pricing and that further adjustments might be needed as energy markets changed.

That advisory also set out different charging dates according to shipment arrangements. Businesses will therefore need to confirm the applicable rate and timing for their bookings rather than assume a uniform increase across every movement.

The wider disruption remains significant. In its Middle East operational update, revised on 8 October, Maersk warned that congestion and alternative routing could lead to longer transit times and additional transport, handling, clearance or storage costs for affected shipments in the region.

For perishable supply chains, the combination of variable transport costs and potential delays makes shipment-specific planning particularly important.