Connect cloud stock with FBA shipping to boost efficiency and cut costs

The international shipping market is experiencing cost adjustments. Maersk's latest notice shows that from April 30, 2026, an overweight surcharge will be imposed on goods shipped from Asian ports to Mexico, the west coast of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

For cross-border sellers and foreign trade enterprises that have long been expanding into the Latin American market, this change will directly affect shipping costs and may also change subsequent stocking and container loading strategies.

Against the backdrop of global freight rate fluctuations that are still not completely stable, any new fee items may compress profit margins. If the seller still quotes based on the old cost model, it is easy for the order profit to shrink or even lose money.

1:Which regions are affected

According to the announcement, the overweight surcharge applies to goods exported from Asian ports to Mexico, the west coast of South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, but Colombia and Puerto Rico are currently not within the scope of the first batch of implementation. For the Colombian market, the surcharge will take effect from May 15th.

This means that sellers laying out their routes in Mexico, Chile, Peru, and Central America need to verify their goods in transit and future shipment plans as soon as possible to avoid disrupting their budget arrangements due to the new charging policies.

2:The charging standards have been clearly defined

The additional fee this time mainly applies to heavy-duty containers. If the total weight of a 20 foot dry goods container exceeds 20 tons, an additional fee of $400 per box will be charged; If the total weight of a 40 foot refrigerated container exceeds 23 tons, an additional $400 will be charged per box.

For customers transporting furniture, building materials, hardware, mechanical parts, beverage raw materials, and high-density goods, the probability of being triggered for charging is relatively high. If the profit of a single container is already limited, this additional cost will be very significant.

3:Why cross-border sellers should pay extra attention

Many cross-border sellers believe that overweight fees only affect traditional foreign trade FCL business, but in reality, this is not the case. Partial overseas warehouse stocking, platform bulk replenishment, and peak season full container loading also involve high weight container loading.

If the freight forwarder or warehouse fails to accurately calculate the weight before loading the container and waits for the shipping company to charge before processing, it not only increases costs but may also affect the cut-off time and shipping schedule arrangement. For time sensitive sellers, the risk is greater.

4:The shipping strategy needs to be adjusted

Faced with the addition of additional fees, enterprises can start optimizing their container loading structure. For example, packing heavy and light goods together to reduce the average weight of a single container, or splitting some goods and shipping them in multiple containers. Although the operation is more complex, it can sometimes effectively reduce additional fees.

For cold chain goods, food raw materials, and fresh food customers, it is even more important to calculate the weight and temperature control requirements in advance to avoid significant increases in overall logistics costs due to overlapping refrigeration costs.

5:Professional logistics solutions can better control risks

The current Latin American market is growing rapidly, but the logistics system is complex and port rules vary greatly, making it difficult to meet demand solely through low-priced booking. More and more companies are paying attention to integrated logistics solutions, planning the entire process from booking, container loading, customs clearance to destination port delivery.

Experienced international logistics service providers are usually able to predict overweight risks before shipment, provide advice on container types, loading plans, and cost estimates in advance, and help sellers reduce temporary charges and transportation fluctuations.

Market opportunities often come with changes in costs. While Latin American orders continue to grow, logistics barriers are also increasing. Whoever can understand the changes in rules earlier and adjust the shipping structure in a timely manner will be more likely to maintain profit margins.