Following the publication of a new Transport & Environment (T&E) study claiming that in nearly 90% of cases, shipping companies are charging customers more than the actual costs of the EU ETS, WorldCargo News reached out to Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, and MSC, companies that are mentioned in the study.

“In one extreme case, the Danish company Maersk will likely make more than EUR 300,000 extra off a single voyage. T&E says port evasion – the act of circumventing the carbon market – should not be used as an excuse to scale back the ETS. Far from avoiding the ETS, shipping companies appear to be profiting from it,” T&E states.

Statement from Maersk

“We find it positive that the analysis demonstrates that there is competition between shipping companies when it comes to the EU ETS cost. Overall, the analysis lacks many of the factors that affect EU ETS costs for shipping companies and therefore the surcharges. The methodology underpinning the analysis is flawed, which in turn leads to inaccurate conclusions that do not reflect reality in our industry,” Maersk commented in a statement sent to WorldCargoNews. “The cost of compliance with the ETS is significant and impacts the cost of shipping. To ensure transparency, Maersk applies these costs as a standalone surcharge that reflects the cost of the greenhouse gas emissions in the ETS. The surcharge is a mechanism for passing through the cost of compliance.”

Maersk added: “Transport & Environment’s analysis uses a EUR 90/t CO2 figure as a general ETS price for Maersk even though the article it quotes states that the figure is only for estimation purposes. No fixed price of EUR 90/t CO2 has been announced. Instead, Maersk updates the Emissions surcharge quarterly to ensure alignment with the latest EUA price. This information can be found on Maersk.com.”

“A key feature in the analysis is the focus on selected trades. However, the analysis relies on outdated surcharge estimates for these trades. These older estimates reflect a higher EUA price, leading to higher costs. This in turn leads to the wrong conclusions when compared to the current levels. Newer surcharge estimates are available on Maersk.com and reflect lower EUA prices,” Maersk concluded.

No comments from Hapag-Lloyd

Hapag-Lloyd has opted not to provide a comment on the T&E study, while WorldCargo News awaits responses from CMA CGM and MSC. Their reactions will be promptly published upon receipt.