Central Europe: Shipping via Antwerp and Rotterdam? A Congestion Surcharge is coming up

Low water levels on the Rhine are significantly affecting inland transport capacity. With reduced barge capacity, demand for alternative truck and rail transportation has increased, resulting in limited overall inland capacity.

A Congestion Surcharge (PCS / OCS) will therefore apply to all transport modes for inland shipments to or from locations in the countries listed below when routed via the ports of Antwerp, Belgium, or Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The applicable surcharge levels are as follows:

• Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg: EUR 50 per container
• Germany, France, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Switzerland: EUR 50 per TEU

The surcharge will apply as follows:

• Non-FMC cargo: from September 1, 2026
• FMC-relevant shipments: from September 20, 2026

Please note we may not be able to guarantee smooth or on‑time inland transport while capacity is restricted. We’re working hard to move your cargo as quickly as possible and will offer alternative routing where available.

As the low-water situation is beyond Hapag-Lloyd’s reasonable control, any applicable port or inland demurrage and related charges resulting from delays will be billed to the customer.

We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and keep you updated as developments occur.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact our customer service team at your location, who will guide you based on your individual situation.