<p data-path-to-node="2"><b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="0">MUMBAI —</b> A.P. Moller – Maersk has formally issued a nationwide tariff advisory introducing a significant Heavy Load Surcharge (HWS) on contract and spot freight bookings departing from ocean gateways across North West India bound for Northern Europe and Mediterranean transshipment hubs. According to the carrier's compliance outline, the cost calculation adjustment will officially take effect on July 7, 2026. Sourcing managers are closely analyzing container stuffing weights, as the financial premium triggers automatically whenever a container’s Verified Gross Mass (VGM)—which tracks the total weight of the cargo, securing dunnage, and the container tare structure combined—exceeds 22 metric tons.</p><p data-path-to-node="3">The introduction of the heavy payload premium comes at a delicate time for subcontinental exporters. Logistics procurement desks are currently balancing a broader regional wave of seasonal peak season surcharges and geopolitical contingency premiums, all of which have steadily driven up contract shipping outlays. Line operations desks explain that the heavy payload surcharge is required to manage increased fuel burn parameters and specific port crane limits on long-haul transcontinental liner loops. Sourcing hubs throughout industrial clusters in North West India are re-engineering their cargo stuffing blueprints to distribute weights more evenly, minimizing individual container volumes where possible to avoid hitting the 22-ton threshold and racking up steep freight premiums.</p>