The new General Rate Increase/General Rate Adjustment applies to shipments from the Indian Subcontinent, Pakistan, and the Middle East to Canada and the U.S.
Hapag-Lloyd has announced a new freight rate increase on shipments from the Indian Subcontinent, Pakistan, and the Middle East to North America.
The General Rate Increase (GRI)/General Rate Adjustment (GRA) is set at USD 1,000 per container and applies to cargo moving to Canada and the U.S. in 20' and 40' dry, reefer, and special containers. This includes high cube equipment.
The increase takes effect for containers gated in full from June 1, 2026, and will remain in effect until further notice.
The Hapag-Lloyd announcement follows a series of recent carrier cost adjustments affecting shipments to North America.
Disruption around the Strait of Hormuz in late February 2026 led Hapag-Lloyd, as well as major container lines Maersk, MSC, and CMA CGM, to temporarily adjust services or suspend vessel transits through the waterway for crew and cargo safety.
The disruption contributed to higher shipping costs, including bunker fuel, war risk insurance premiums, and vessel rerouting expenses.
In March, several ocean and air carriers introduced or adjusted surcharges as Middle East unrest continued to affect freight operations.
Hapag-Lloyd introduced a War Risk Surcharge of USD 1,500 per TEU for standard containers and USD 3,500 per container for reefers and special equipment on shipments to and from the Upper Gulf, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Gulf, effective March 2, 2026.
The carrier also introduced an Emergency Fuel Surcharge, effective March 23, 2026, excluding FMC-regulated U.S. cargo.
In April, additional shipping surcharges came into effect.
MSC began applying an Emergency Fuel Surcharge on cargo moving from Asia to Canada and the U.S. on April 9, 2026, with an additional increase announced for May 1, 2026.
Amazon also announced a 3.5% fuel and logistics-related surcharge on fulfillment fees for third-party sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon in Canada and the U.S., effective April 17, 2026.
At Cole International, we offer trade consulting and freight forwarding services to help Canadian businesses assess the impact of freight rate increases on their supply chains.
Reach out to one of our trade professionals to discuss your shipping strategy and how to keep your freight moving.