Maersk’s Chornomorsk congestion fee: what importers pay in 2026
Since 15 March 2026, Maersk has charged a Congestion Fee Destination (CFD) on every container bound for Chornomorsk — $100 per 20-foot box and $200 per 40- or 45-foot box. For anyone routing cargo through Ukraine’s Odesa hub, the Maersk congestion fee is now a standing line on the freight invoice, not a one-off, and it applies to all origins and all container types.
The CFD is billed per container on top of ocean freight: $100 per 20′, $200 per 40′ and 45′, all cargo types, all origins to Chornomorsk. Effective since 15 March 2026 with no announced end date — treat it as part of the base cost until Maersk says otherwise.
Why the surcharge landed on Chornomorsk
Chornomorsk again carries the bulk of Ukraine’s box trade. Container volumes across Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi rose 43% year on year in the first quarter of 2026, and most deep-sea boxes reach Chornomorsk on the feeder leg from Constanța in Romania.
Maersk runs that leg with feeder tonnage together with local operators; at its busiest the Constanța–Chornomorsk shuttle worked on four vessels — Pros Hope, T Moon, T Mare and Commander. When boxes land faster than the quay and the inland chain can clear them, berth waiting and yard dwell build up. A destination congestion fee is simply how a carrier prices that delay back to the cargo.
What it means for your landed cost
Build the CFD into every Chornomorsk quote from the start. On a single 40-foot import it is $200 before duty, VAT or inland haulage — small per box, but real across a programme of container shipments. Knowing the exact charge up front also keeps your freight forwarding budget honest and avoids surprises at invoice stage.
The surcharge is fixed, so the room to manage total cost sits elsewhere: clean documents that clear customs on first submission, accurate booking dates, and a feeder schedule that matches your inland slots. We handle all three at the Odesa hub day to day — talk to us before you fix a routing.
FAQ
How much is Maersk’s congestion fee to Chornomorsk?
$100 per 20-foot container and $200 per 40- or 45-foot container, billed per box on top of ocean freight, in force since 15 March 2026.
Does the fee apply to all cargo?
Yes. Maersk states the CFD covers all origins and all container types moving to Chornomorsk.
Can the charge be avoided?
Not on Maersk bookings to Chornomorsk — it is a destination surcharge. You can still control total landed cost through clean customs paperwork, accurate booking dates and tight inland planning.
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