Freight rates on this trade are not a single number that moves gently. They are a base rate plus whatever surcharges are in force, and the surcharges can be announced between the day you quote a buyer and the day you book.
That timing mismatch is a real commercial risk, and it is avoidable.
What a PSS is
A Peak Season Surcharge is an additional charge applied by a carrier during periods of high demand, on top of the base rate. It appears as a separate line item, it is announced by carrier notice, and it applies to sailings within a stated window.
CMA CGM publishes PSS notices covering shipments from China to West Africa Central and South ranges — so this is not a theoretical concern on our lane, it is a documented feature of it.
The commercial problem is not the amount. It is the sequence. You quote a buyer a landed price, the surcharge is announced, and your margin absorbs it because you already gave a number.
The habit that fixes it
Before quoting a landed price, ask your forwarder two questions:
- Is a peak season surcharge currently in force for my sailing window?
- Has one been announced for the weeks after it?
Then quote accordingly — either with the surcharge included, or with an explicit statement that freight is subject to surcharges announced by the carrier. Both are defensible. Silently absorbing it is not a strategy.
For repeat buyers, quoting freight as a pass-through rather than a fixed component keeps the relationship intact when rates move. It requires more explanation upfront and produces far fewer arguments later.
Ordinary timing logic
Absent surcharges, the timing considerations are unremarkable:
Chinese New Year. Factory and logistics activity compresses around it, and space tightens before it. Plan around the dates rather than discovering them.
Weekly services mean weekly consequences. The CMA CGM Asia–West Africa service runs weekly. Missing a cut-off costs a week, not a day.
Rainy seasons at destination. Affect inland movement and yard conditions after discharge more than the voyage itself.
The date that now overrides everything else
For Ghana, one deadline currently matters more than any freight consideration.
GSA Public Notice 26/09 brings national vehicle standards into force on 1 October 2026. The notice states that vehicles shipped before 1 October 2026 are not affected by the new import requirements, even if they arrive in Ghana after that date. Vehicles already in Ghana before implementation are likewise exempt.
So the governing date is the bill of lading, not the arrival. A container sailing on 28 September clears under the existing regime regardless of when it berths. A container sailing on 2 October needs each unit to hold a Certificate of Conformance issued in the country of origin by a GSA-approved inspection body.
Two practical consequences:
Expect the pre-October window to be busy. If a large number of importers reach the same conclusion about sailing before the deadline, space tightens and rates firm — which is precisely the condition under which surcharges get announced.
Do not cut it fine. A cargo intended to sail on 29 September that rolls to the next sailing has changed regulatory regime, not just schedule. If you are near the line, build in a sailing’s worth of buffer.
After the deadline
The certification requirement becomes part of every schedule rather than a deadline to beat. Build the inspection and certificate into your pre-shipment timeline as a fixed step with its own lead time.
How much lead time, and at what cost, was not settled in the GSA notice. The Vehicle Homologation Unit answers on this directly: [email protected], telephone 030 398 0177. Ask which bodies are approved in China and what turnaround they are quoting before you plan around a number.
Common questions
Q: What is a peak season surcharge? A: An extra charge carriers apply during high-demand periods, on top of the base freight rate, announced by carrier notice for a stated sailing window.
Q: How do I avoid being caught by one? A: Ask your forwarder whether a PSS is in force or announced for your window before quoting a buyer, and quote freight as a pass-through where you can.
Q: Does Ghana’s October 2026 rule apply to my shipment if it arrives in October? A: Not if it shipped before 1 October 2026. The notice keys the exemption to shipment date, not arrival.
Q: Should I rush a shipment to beat the deadline? A: Only with buffer. A rolled sailing moves your cargo into the new regime, so leave a sailing’s margin rather than sailing on the last available date.
