TACA INTRODUCES $250 WESTBOUND EQUIPMENT CHARGE

   The Trans-Atlantic Conference Agreement carriers will introduce a westbound-only equipment repositioning charge of $250 per container on Sept. 11.
    The charge will be applied to tariff and service contract shipments.
TACA said that its shipping line members are experiencing "an extraordinary and substantial imbalance situation" in the Atlantic trade, as the strong westbound traffic requires the repositioning of empty boxes back to Europe.
    Because of low ocean rates, the container repositioning costs "cannot be met by existing revenues" of carriers, TACA said.
    The members of the TACA conference are Atlantic Container Line, Hapag-Lloyd, Mediterranean Shipping Co., Maersk, OOCL, NYK Line, P&O Nedlloyd and Sea-Land Service.