Maritime transport company King Ocean has announced that the bunker surcharge on cargo between ports in the United States and Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao will increase considerably starting April 12, 2026. The company indicated that the final level of the rate will be confirmed on April 9, depending on movements in the fuel market.
According to King Ocean, bunker fuel levels will be monitored daily to follow market developments. Based on actual market data, the company will review and confirm the final rate before the implementation date.
The announcement indicates that the bunker surcharge on different types of cargo will increase noticeably. For example, for a 40-foot dry container (40’ dry container) the rate will rise from $400 to $1,400, representing an increase of approximately 250% in the bunker surcharge.
However, according to analysis from the logistics sector, this change does not necessarily mean that the total freight will increase by 300%, as some information circulating suggests. In practice, the impact on the total transport cost for a 40-foot container is estimated to be around a 25.4% increase in the total freight.
Other cargo categories will also see an increase, including refrigerated containers (reefers), vehicles and breakbulk cargo.
Concern about impact on imports
The increase in the bunker surcharge is creating concern within the import sector in Aruba, since transportation costs form an important part of the final price of products entering Aruba.
There are voices within the sector suggesting that the government could consider temporary fiscal adjustments, such as a reduction of import duties or BBO, to partially compensate for the increase in logistics costs for importers and consumers.
There is also discussion about the way Aruba calculates import duties based on the CIF value (Cost, Insurance and Freight). This means that taxes are calculated not only on the value of the product but also on the cost of insurance and transportation. Critics argue that this system unnecessarily increases the cost of imports.
Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao depend heavily on the import of goods, mainly from the United States. For that reason, any change in maritime transport costs can have a direct impact on product prices in the local market.
