A dispute over empty-container handling charges is threatening to disrupt cargo operations at Indian ports, with customs brokers threatening a boycott of MSC shipments from 15 November 2026 if the carrier does not reverse its practice of routing empty-container lift-on/lift-off charges through third-party depot vendors . The confrontation, reported by The Loadstar on 8 November, has been building since Maersk substantially increased its lo-lo charges for empties moving through Mundra, India's busiest container port and the primary gateway for the Delhi hinterland.
The scale of the increase is substantial. Maersk's revision, implemented from 1 November, effectively more than doubled the rates shippers had been charged, from $23 to $51 per 20-foot empty box, and from $31 to $67 per 40-foot box, plus local taxes . The carrier advised customers to settle the charges directly with nominated depot service providers, a practice that had already become contentious at Chennai port. Sources expect other carriers to issue similar trade notices for their empty operations at Mundra, with one liner source telling The Loadstar: "We are discussing the matter" .
The Chennai dimension of the dispute centres on MSC's role in pioneering the collection practice. According to the Chennai Customs Brokers Association, MSC took the lead in implementing the arrangement at Chennai, following which other shipping lines initiated similar measures . The CCBA argues that the policy shift carries "serious economic and operational implications for cargo agents," claiming that third-party vendors have kept inflating tariffs once the collection function was transferred to them. "Allowing third-party vendors to collect additional charges without adequate transparency or accountability would create an open-ended financial burden on the export/import trade, particularly customs brokers," the association said .
The brokers' core complaint is that they are being caught between carriers and their customers. The CCBA said its member agents are "increasingly caught in the middle," with exporters and importers refusing to reimburse the add-ons that have found their way onto final customer bills . The association has threatened to boycott MSC shipments if the new practice is not reversed by 15 November, and told The Loadstar: "Our association will follow the same stance in the case of other shipping lines seeking similar depot arrangements" .
The dispute has spread beyond Chennai to JNPA. Sources said some carriers serving Nhava Sheva have also switched to the practice of permitting nominated yards to collect lo-lo charges directly from shippers, despite strong resistance from the cargo-handling community . One forwarder described the practical problem: "Any logistics cost increase ultimately goes straight down to the shipper, making it difficult to explain, or sort out." An industry observer noted that intermediaries add price mark-ups, "an area Indian logistics policymakers have been trying to streamline through reforms" .
For India's export-import sector, the dispute arrives at a difficult moment. The DGFT is already consulting exporters on a relief package for rising inland freight costs and container shortages, and the broader logistics environment has been strained by the West Asia conflict and Red Sea diversions . Adding an empty-container fee dispute at the country's two largest container gateways risks compounding the operational uncertainty that exporters and importers are already managing.
The timing of the threatened boycott is significant. If MSC does not reverse its practice by 15 November, the CCBA's members would refuse to handle MSC shipments, potentially disrupting cargo flows through Chennai and other ports where the association's members operate. The threat of similar action against other carriers means the dispute could escalate beyond a single shipping line to become an industry-wide confrontation between customs brokers and container carriers.
Looking ahead, the key question is whether the carriers will reverse the practice or whether the brokers will follow through on their boycott threat. The dispute reflects a deeper tension over who bears the cost of empty-container handling in a market where equipment is scarce and depot charges are rising. For now, the 15 November deadline provides a focal point, and the outcome will signal whether the carriers or the brokers have more leverage in shaping the commercial terms of India's container logistics chain.