The revision is in a Maersk rate announcement dated 27 October 2026 covering its Emergency Operational Cost Recovery (OCR) surcharge for the scope World (excluding Far East Asia) to Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, until further notice. The amount is USD 2,000 per container for all dry, all reefer and all special containers alike: a flat charge, not a percentage of the freight. Maersk states that the charge applies to contract bookings only, and that the applicable rate is retrieved on the Price Calculation Date (PCD) - for non-FMC trades the scheduled departure date of the first water leg at the time the booking is confirmed, and for FMC trades the last container gate-in date.
There are two effective dates. From 9 November 2026 the new level applies to non-regulated origin countries; from 27 November 2026 it applies to regulated origins, which Maersk lists as the United States, Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Brazil. Because Brazil is the largest single supplier of chicken meat to the Gulf, Brazilian cargo carries the new level from the later date. The same surcharge was quoted at USD 500 per container in the September 2026 notices - the UAE advisory of 9 September, effective 15 September, and the Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq advisory of 11 September, effective 17 September - so the published amount is now four times the earlier level.
One detail of scope matters when origins are compared. The OCR is defined on the origin side as "World (excluding Far East Asia)", so the advisory as published does not extend the USD 2,000 to Far East Asian origin cargo. What it does do is raise the landed cost of the Brazilian, US and European product that sets the Gulf price, at a point in the year when importers are already building stock for Ramadan 2027 in February.
For an importer the practical point is arithmetic and paperwork. A flat USD 2,000 per container is roughly USD 71 per tonne on a full reefer, which on frozen leg quarters is a visible share of the landed cost and, unlike a percentage surcharge, does not shrink when the cargo is cheaper. Whether a particular shipment pays it depends on the booking type and on the PCD rather than on the vessel's departure date alone, so freight quotations issued before 9 November should be reconfirmed as to basis before a DDP price is fixed. The two advisories also pull in opposite directions: the import leg into the Gulf became more expensive, while the dry re-export leg from Jebel Ali, Fujairah, Khorfakkan and Sohar to West Africa became cheaper by USD 500 per box.
Nau International Food Group supplies halal frozen poultry and frozen meat from HACCP-certified, GACC-registered plants, with halal, veterinary health and origin certificates issued for each shipment, and quotes FOB, CIF and DDP Jebel Ali with customs clearance arranged. We confirm the freight basis and the surcharge position in writing before a contract price is fixed. For specifications, packing data and current offers, write to info@naufoodgroup.com.
Source: Maersk rate announcements of 27 October 2026 ("Revision of Emergency Operational Cost Recovery Surcharge OCR ... Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and United Arab Emirates") and 28 October 2026 ("Change to Emergency Contingency Surcharge Middle East to West Africa (W2MW)"); Maersk OCR notices of 9 and 11 September 2026 for the earlier USD 500 level.
