CMA has officially announced the implementation of the Low Water Surcharge per 01.08.2018.
What is the Low Water Surcharge, and why is it implemented?
Quit simple! As the water levels of the St. Lawrence river drops, the (container-)ships can carry less containers. This means a loss in earnings. To compensate this, all BCO's(Beneficial Cargo Owners) on board must pay this additional fee.
As it's forbidden these days for carriers to "talk" with eachother, it can very well be for example that Hapag-Lloyd will a) start earlier/later adding this fee, and b) even the rate level can be different.
The ending is determined by the carriers.
Hope this informes you! Let me know if you have questions about this!
Thanks!
M. aka DT.