PROJECTIONS of better performance at the Lyttelton Container Terminal (LCT) have encouraged Maersk Line to drop congestion surcharges affecting international and coastal containers, from next Monday.
Last month Maersk announced the surcharges of USD200 per import/export container, and later added a NZD 250 charge on domestic boxes in response to terminal performance issues arising from Lyttelton Port Company’s workforce reforms.
LCT users had been warned uncertainty may continue until February, as the Maritime Union of New Zealand and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union protest port company plans to eliminate 24 full-time foreman and at least 20 relieving foremen covered by a collective agreement, and replace them with 21 new roles on individual agreements.
In a new Notice to Customers this week Simon Munt, chief customer and supply chain officer, said operations at LCT had improved considerably over the past two weeks.
“Labour supply has stabilised, and we are increasing proformas to support shipping lines and reduce delays,” Mr Munt said.
“Maersk’s Customer Advisory dated 1 December 2025 cited operational progress and [the line] will be
removing their congestion surcharge from 8 December 2025.
“Recent delays have been partly caused by scheduling issues and omissions in vessel planning. We are actively working with shipping lines to
“Vessel exchanges are improving, and higher proforma percentages are being achieved. We continue to monitor conditions and will provide updates as needed,” Mr Munt said.
In November, full exports rose by 10% compared to the same period last year, LPC said, and full imports increased by 1.5%. However, total volumes were slightly lower due to a decrease in empty containers.