Administrative fee for misdeclared cargo information

An improper declaration of goods leads to risk exposure of our crew, environment, cargoes, fleet, and facilities therefore, in August 2019 we introduced an administrative fee for misdeclared cargoes (MID).

Risks and safety issues from incorrect declaration can include, but are not limited to leakages, moving cargo, chemical reactions, cargo fires and explosions that consequently put the lives of our seafarers & terminal crew at risk, as well as a potential risk to the environment. This is something that Maersk does not accept.

On a regular basis we experience bookings declared incorrectly. For various reasons, customers book commodities under the wrong name, declare dangerous goods as non-dangerous commodities or change the booking from dangerous to non-dangerous.

We charge and collect an administration fee per booking (i.e. per Bill of Lading) from customers who have not declared their cargo correctly. Any additional cost that will result from taking corrective action will be charged on top of this fee. The administrative fee for misdeclared cargo aims to recover costs and is not to be considered a penalty to the customer.

The administrative fee for misdeclared cargo is 5,000 US dollars per bill of lading for all brands and countries as a base level. The fee may be subject to a harsher local tariff (Exception China: GCA tariff is USD 15,000/container for MSK/SAS with no change) but can never go below the stipulated level.

We have a dedicated team that screens and validates global bookings and who constantly monitor and investigate the booking information received from customers. If in doubt, they will reach out to the respective customer service team or the customer directly to gather more information. It is of the utmost importance that the customer and customer service teams collaborate with the cargo validation team and provide the missing information, otherwise the booking risks to be delayed or cancelled until a clear conclusion is made.

To avoid the administrative fee for misdeclared cargo, all customers are required to.

• Ensure that the cargo is declared correctly and booked under the right commodity code from the beginning of the booking process.
• IMO classes and UNNOs are correctly declared from the beginning of the booking process.
• The cargo in question complies with our policies and regulations.