WTSA to add low-sulphur fuel component to bunker surcharge

The low-sulphur component (LSC) of $11 per 40-foot container (feu)
from the West Coast, and $38 per feu from the East and Gulf Coast,
will be incorporated into WTSA’s guideline bunker charge effective
from the calendar quarter beginning Oct 1, 2012. It will be based on
the same 13-week reporting period as the standard bunker charge and
will be adjusted on in line with them.

WTSA said the LSC is based on average weekly price differentials
between standard bunker and low-sulfur fuel as reported by Platt’s, a
weighted average of WTSA carriers’ relative daily consumption of the
different fuels, and average per-sailing days within the 200-mile ECA
limit.

The component is applied by backing out from the current bunker charge
the number of sailing days within the ECA per voyage, at the fuel
consumption rates and prices for standard bunker fuel, and then adding
back in the number of days in the zone and costs based on average
low-sulfur consumption and prices. All other calculation variables
used in the existing bunker charge formula remain the same.

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