Shipping to and from Switzerland

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Import

Get up-to-date local information about import procedures and restrictions, demurrage and detention, container drop-offs and more.

For transports arranged in Merchant Haulage, empty containers to be returned at the Place of Delivery location as stated on the Bill of Lading.

In exceptional cases and after confirmation by the carrier, empty containers may be returned at an alternate location against payment of a drop-off fee as per tariff below.

The trigger for the validity period is the first load date at origin (Price Calculation Date).

Maersk would like to inform you of an upcoming change in our inland depot activities. As of 15 December 2023, we will stop our activities at Niederglatt and Chavornay depots. We can offer alternative coverage through depots in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland to continue serving your logistics needs. We remain committed to keeping your supply chain moving with ease and remain at your disposal should you require further assistance. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative if you have any questions.

Valid from 01. January 2025 until 31. March 2025 (subject to equipment availability)

Depot	20ft DRY	40ft DRY	40ft HIGH	45ft HIGH
Depot Basel - several depots, carriers choice	20ft DRY 225 CHF	40ft DRY 100 CHF	40ft HIGH 100 CHF	45ft HIGH 450 CHF
Depot Geneve - SwissTeminal Geneva	20ft DRY 200 CHF	40ft DRY 200 CHF	40ft HIGH 200 CHF	45ft HIGH not allowed

Valid from 30. September 2024 until 31. December 2024

Depot	20ft DRY	40ft DRY	40ft HIGH	45ft HIGH
Depot Basel - several depots, carriers choice	20ft DRY 225 CHF	40ft DRY 100 CHF	40ft HIGH 100 CHF	45ft HIGH 450 CHF
Depot Geneve - SwissTeminal Geneva	20ft DRY 200 CHF	40ft DRY 200 CHF	40ft HIGH 200 CHF	45ft HIGH not allowed

Valid from 01. July 2024 until 30. September 2024 (subject to equipment availability)

Depot	20ft DRY	40ft DRY	40ft HIGH	45ft HIGH
Depot Basel - several depots, carriers choice	20ft DRY 225 CHF	40ft DRY 100 CHF	40ft HIGH 100 CHF	45ft HIGH 450 CHF
Depot Geneve - SwissTeminal Geneva	20ft DRY 200 CHF	40ft DRY 200 CHF	40ft HIGH 200 CHF	45ft HIGH not allowed

Returning empty Reefer equipment to inland depot BASEL/BIRSFELDEN is subject to a drop-off fee of CHF 100 per 20ft/40ft reefer container.

Returning empty special equipment such as Open-Top or Flat-Rack to inland depot BASEL/BIRSFELDEN is subject to a drop-off fee of CHF 300 per 20ft container and CHF 450 per 40ft container.

Country: Switzerland
Direction: Import
Effective Date: 15^th July 2022
Expiry Date: Until further notice
Free time: Calendar days
Currency: EUR
Invoiced: Per container, per calendar day, per container type
Application: The free time & charges applied will be those in place on the origin price calculation date (PCD)

Free time: “Free Time” is the period agreed between the Carrier and the Merchant for which Demurrage and Detention shall not be paid by the Merchant.

Detention: Compensation payable when the Merchant holds Carrier's Container outside the port, terminal, or depot beyond the agreed amount of Free Time.

Demurrage: Compensation payable when the Merchant holds Carrier’s Container inside the terminal, port, or depot beyond the agreed amount of Free Time (the compensation includes terminal storage costs).

Name	Start	End
Name Demurrage	Start Commences on and includes the day that the full container is discharged from a vessel or gated-in at inland terminal.	End Ends on the day that the full container is gated-out for delivery from the last port or terminal. Demurrage is invoiced based on tariff of final gate-out full location.
Name Detention	Start Commences on and includes the day that the full container is gated-out for delivery from the last port or terminal.	End Ends on the day that the empty container is gated-in at the agreed port or terminal. Detention is invoiced based on tariff of empty return location.

Useful links:

SPOT terms are those accepted at the time the booking is confirmed and are not necessarily aligned with the standard tariff. For details on how to extend your DnD Freetime at destination, click here. DnD Tariff information can be found via Instant Price Search or during booking process
D&D Calculator Click here to know more about it
Terms for Detention and Demurrage

Split - Demurrage includes Storage - 1232

Import Demurrage Tariffs

Effective date: 15^th July 2022
Currency: EUR

For containers which are picked up at seaport, follow seaport tariff of that country

For containers which are moved to Swiss inland terminal, follow below tariff

Switzerland Inland Terminal (Dry, Flat and Open top, Reef)

Days	20' DRY	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY	20' Flat & Open top	40’ Flat & Open top	20' REEF \| 40' REEF
Days Day 1 to 4	20' DRY Free	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY Free	20' Flat & Open top Free	40’ Flat & Open top Free	20' REEF \| 40' REEF Free \| Free
Days Day 5 to 8	20' DRY 70	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY 90	20' Flat & Open top 130	40’ Flat & Open top 150	20' REEF \| 40' REEF 180 \| 180
Days Day 9 to 13	20' DRY 90	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY 130	20' Flat & Open top 150	40’ Flat & Open top 180	20' REEF \| 40' REEF 180 \| 180
Days Day 14 onwards	20' DRY 140	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY 190	20' Flat & Open top 210	40’ Flat & Open top 260	20' REEF \| 40' REEF 280 \| 280

Switzerland Inland Terminal (IMO)

Days	IMO cargo in 20´ DRY	IMO cargo in 40´ DRY	IMO cargo in 20' REEF/NOR	IMO cargo in 40' REEF/NOR
Days Day 1 to 4	IMO cargo in 20´ DRY Free	IMO cargo in 40´ DRY Free	IMO cargo in 20' REEF/NOR Free	IMO cargo in 40' REEF/NOR Free
Days Day 5 to 8	IMO cargo in 20´ DRY 130	IMO cargo in 40´ DRY 150	IMO cargo in 20' REEF/NOR 180	IMO cargo in 40' REEF/NOR 180
Days Day 9 to 13	IMO cargo in 20´ DRY 150	IMO cargo in 40´ DRY 180	IMO cargo in 20' REEF/NOR 180	IMO cargo in 40' REEF/NOR 180
Days Day 14 onwards	IMO cargo in 20´ DRY 210	IMO cargo in 40´ DRY 260	IMO cargo in 20' REEF/NOR 280	IMO cargo in 40' REEF/NOR 280

Import Detention Tariffs

Effective date: 15^th January 2020
Currency: EUR

Switzerland Import Detention (Dry, Flat and Open top, Reef)

Days	20' DRY	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY	20' Flat & Open top	40’ Flat & Open top	20' REEF \| 40' REEF
Days Day 1 to 10	20' DRY Free	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY Free	20' Flat & Open top Free	40’ Flat & Open top Free	20' REEF \| 40' REEF Free \| Free
Days Day 11 to 17	20' DRY 70	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY 90	20' Flat & Open top 120	40’ Flat & Open top 140	20' REEF \| 40' REEF 120 \| 140
Days Day 18 onwards	20' DRY 90	40’ DRY & 40’ HC & 45’ DRY 120	20' Flat & Open top 140	40’ Flat & Open top 160	20' REEF \| 40' REEF 140 \| 160

Notes:

Reefer demurrage includes plug-in/electricity charges.
Reefer container with IMO follows Reefer.
Non-operating reefer (NOR) is considered as Dry Container for Import Demurrage and Detention.
Non-operating reefer (NOR) with IMO follows Reefer for Import Demurrage.
40´ High and 45´ High containers are considered equal to 40´.
Shipper's own containers (SOC) are not subject to detention and are subject to demurrage.
Shipper’s Own Container is considered as equivalent to corresponding container type and cargo type. Examples: A Tank with Dry cargo follows terms of Dry equipment, while a Tank with IMO cargo follows terms of IMO.

For previous demurrage and detention tariff, please click below document.

Demurrage and detention tariff

PDF (108KB)

Below are the most common local charges we have in Switzerland. They are all subject to change and valid until further notice.

Please also visit our global Surcharge Definition Glossary

Area	Charge Code	Charge Name	Description	Tariff	Payterm
Area Mandatory	Charge Code ODF	Charge Name Documentation fee - Origin	Description This service covers the creation and processing of all standard transport documents (e.g. Bill of Lading).	Tariff For details contact local office	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code DDF	Charge Name Documentation fee - Destination	Description This service covers the creation and processing of all standard transport documents (e.g. Delivery Order).	Tariff For details contact local office	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code DHC	Charge Name Terminal Handling Service - Destination	Description This service covers the cost of the handling a container at the destination port or terminal.This service is applicable to all shipments.	Tariff For details contact local office	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code OHC	Charge Name Terminal Handling Service - Origin	Description This service covers the cost of handling a container at the origin port or terminal.This service is applicable to all shipments.	Tariff For details contact local office	Payterm Origin
Area Booking	Charge Code CLL	Charge Name Booking Cancellation Fee	Description (Scope: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland to Middle East and Far East Asia) Invoiced to Booking Creation Party, in case of booking cancellation or reduction of container(s) or postponement initiated by customer to a vessel later than first available sailing or delay of sailing due to reasons under customer’s responsibility (e.g. late/missing documents) to a vessel later than first available sailing within 7 calendar days or less prior ETD of vessel.	Tariff 100 EUR per container (Dry and Reefer) eff. 15.03.2020	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code COD	Charge Name Change of Destination	Description At the request of the customer, subject to acceptance by Maersk. This is the minimum cost, knowing that the cost of shifting can be induced and will be passed in full to the goods.	Tariff 300 USD per container + possible shifting costs	Payterm Freight
Area	Charge Code CED	Charge Name Change of Destination - Extra Restows	Description Will be processed only upon confirmation of the acceptance of the extra costs associated.	Tariff 300 USD per container + extra costs associated	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code DIT	Charge Name Detention in Transit Service	Description At the request of the customer. This is a minimum tariff (an administrative tariff), assessed at the time of the request. An additional charge of 75 USD/Dry or 125 USD/Reefer is applicable per detention day. DIT is subject to carrier approval.	Tariff Fix admin fee of 250 USD per container plus USD 75 per day (DRY, IMO, OOG) / plus USD 125 per day (Reefer)	Payterm Freight
Area	Charge Code ASE	Charge Name Additional Export Service Fee	Description Manual booking amendments	Tariff 50 EUR per booking	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code ASI	Charge Name Additional Import Service Fee	Description Manual booking amendments and manual request to receive delivery order	Tariff 50 EUR per booking	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code OBK	Charge Name Booking Services - Origin	Description Booking Services charge covers booking management performed by Maersk on behalf of the customer at the destination location. Booking Services teams coordinate with customers’ partners and internal stakeholders to ensure all destination related activities are completed as planned.	Tariff 50 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area Cargo related (third party)	Charge Code INE	Charge Name Inspection Fee - Scanning Export	Description A service offered if customs or other authorities request a container to be scanned. Fee is valid for German ports. Foreign ports on request.	Tariff Wilhelmshaven (inside terminal): 250 EUR per container Bremerhaven (inside terminal): 250 EUR per container Bremerhaven (outside terminal): 280 EUR per container Hamburg: 280 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code INI	Charge Name Inspection Fee - Scanning Import and Transshipment	Description A service offered if customs or other authorities request a container to be scanned. Fee is valid for German ports. Foreign ports on request.	Tariff Wilhelmshaven (inside terminal): 250 EUR per container Bremerhaven (inside terminal): 250 EUR per container Bremerhaven (outside terminal): 280 EUR per container Hamburg: 280 EUR per container	Payterm Destination
Area Customs Clearance	Charge Code CCO	Charge Name Customs Clearance Origin	Description A service offered by the carrier to prepare customs clearance documents and handle formalities on behalf of the customer. The carrier may use 3rd party agents in some locations at Origin.	Tariff Please contact your Maersk representative for a quoted based on your individual shipments and requirement.	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code CCD	Charge Name Customs Clearance Destination	Description A service offered by the carrier to prepare customs clearance documents and handle formalities on behalf of the customer. The carrier may use 3rd party agents in some locations at Destination.	Tariff Please contact your Maersk representative for a quoted based on your individual shipments and requirement	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code WAV	Charge Name Waiver Certificate Issuance	Description Waiver certificates or Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN) are compulsory for the maritime export to a number of African countries. The waivers must be filed before the cargo arrives at its port of discharge. Based on customers request Maersk can provide these documents based as a 3rd party Value Added Service.	Tariff Please contact your Maersk representative for a quoted based on your individual shipments and requirement	Payterm Origin
Area Documentation	Charge Code BLE	Charge Name Transport Document Issuance Service	Description Courier fee for document dispatch within Germany	Tariff 25 EUR per shipment	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code BLE	Charge Name Transport Document Issuance Service	Description Courier fee for document dispatch to Austria	Tariff 35 EUR Per Shipment	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code BLE	Charge Name Transport Document Issuance Service	Description Courier fee for document dispatch to Switzerland	Tariff 35 EUR Per Shipment	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code BLE	Charge Name Transport Document Issuance Service	Description OBL re-issuance fee for amendments or destroy requests after confirmation for the verify copy has been received and the Original Bill of Lading has been issued in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.	Tariff 30 EUR per B/L	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code OCG	Charge Name Origin Certificate Charge	Description Cost per Maersk Certificate at Origin as per request of the customer (e.g. Certifacte issued regarding vessel age, vessel conditions etc.). Charge per document for B/L delivery countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Charges for other delivery countries are different.	Tariff 45 EUR per document	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code OCG	Charge Name Origin Certificate Charge	Description Issuing of Certificate - Notarised Cost per Maersk Certificate attested by notary as per request of the customer.	Tariff 50 EUR per B/L on top of standard certificate fee	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code DCG	Charge Name Destination Certificate Charge	Description Cost per Maersk Certificate at Destination as per request of the customer (e.g. Certifacte issued regarding vessel age, vessel conditions etc.). Charge per document for B/L delivery countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Charges for other delivery countries are different.	Tariff 45 EUR per document	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code HBL	Charge Name House Transport Document	Description Upon customer's request, carrier will issue an Original Bill of Lading (B/L)/Transport Document (TPDOC) based on the House Bill of Lading documentation provided by the forwarder.	Tariff 100 USD per document	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code LDE	Charge Name Late Documentation Fee Export	Description Invoiced in addition to our standard export documentation fee, in case the Bill of lading instruction is submitted to Maersk after vessel sailing.	Tariff 50 EUR per B/L	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code LDI	Charge Name Late Documentation Fee Import	Description Invoiced in addition to our standard export documentation fee, in case the Bill of lading instruction is submitted to Maersk after vessel sailing.	Tariff 50 EUR per B/L	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code SWC	Charge Name Switch Transport Document Service	Description Upon customer’s request, this service is provided by the carrier to 'switch' transport documents (B/L's) to show new parties by issuing a 2nd set of documents.	Tariff B/L receipt country Germany: 75 EUR per B/L	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code TLE	Charge Name Electronic Cargo Release Service - Export	Description Telex release fee upon to customer's request. Applicable on top of the standard documentation fees.	Tariff 30 USD per document	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code TLI	Charge Name Electronic Cargo Release Service - Import	Description Telex release fee upon to customer's request. Applicable on top of the standard documentation fees.	Tariff 30 USD per document	Payterm Destination
Area Equipment	Charge Code CCE	Charge Name Container Cleaning Export	Description Shipper or consignee is charged with cleaning/repair cost if container is damaged or returned dirty/with residue material.	Tariff Case by case	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code CCI	Charge Name Container cleaning Import	Description Shipper or consignee is charged with cleaning/repair cost if container is damaged or returned dirty/with residue material.	Tariff Case by case	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code CSO	Charge Name Container Shifting Origin	Description Charge to recover additional operational expenses for extra container moves needed at Origin, e.g. re-stacking because of Change of Destination or Change of Vessel or move of container from load stack to gate.	Tariff 90 EUR per move	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code CSD	Charge Name Container Shifting Destination	Description Charge to recover additional operational expenses for extra container moves needed at Destination, e.g. re-stacking because of Change of Destination or Change of Vessel or move of container from load stack to gate.	Tariff 90 EUR per move	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code EME	Charge Name Equipment Management Export	Description This fee applies in case a container is delivered to the terminal without a proper high security seal.	Tariff 90 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code EME	Charge Name Equipment Management Export	Description A service offered on request of the customer to check the container seal. Valid for German ports. Foreign ports on request.	Tariff 190 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code EMI	Charge Name Equipment Management Import	Description A service offered on request of the customer to check the container seal. Valid for German ports. Foreign ports on request.	Tariff 190 EUR per container	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code ESC	Charge Name Extra Seal charge	Description The surcharge covers the extra service of providing/attaching extra seals to containers in the terminals.	Tariff 90 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code PQC	Charge Name Premium Quality Container	Description Upon customer's request, carrier's service of providing a container of a specific quality. E.g. food grade containers, containers of a specific age, containers for specific commodities (such as electronics).	Tariff 210 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area Inland	Charge Code DDC	Charge Name Destination Dangerous Cargo Service Inland Haulage	Description Dangerous cargo additional for Inland haulage	Tariff 30 EUR per container	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code ODC	Charge Name Origin Dangerous Cargo Service Inland Haulage	Description Dangerous cargo additional for Inland haulage	Tariff 30 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code DRP	Charge Name Drop Off Charge Import	Description For transports arranged in Merchant Haulage, empty containers must be returned to the Place of Delivery location as stated on the Bill of Lading. In exceptional cases and after confirmation by the carrier, empty containers may be returned at an alternate location subject to a drop-off fee.	Tariff Per inland terminal / container	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code JTC	Charge Name Probe Service	Description Applied when probes applicable.	Tariff 200 EUR per container	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code MSE	Charge Name Multi Stop Service Export	Description Charge to cover additional cost associated with multiple stops on an inland move.	Tariff EUR 100 (for extra mileage up to 50km between locations A & B) and EUR 150 (for extra mileage up to 100km between locations A & B)	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code MSI	Charge Name Multi Stop Service Imports	Description Charge to cover additional cost associated with multiple stops on an inland move.	Tariff EUR 100 (for extra mileage up to 50km between locations A & B) and EUR 150 (for extra mileage up to 100km between locations A & B)	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code OGS/DGS	Charge Name Genset Service Origin	Description Reefer add-on if active cooling is required during Inland haulage	Tariff 300 EUR (GenSet for Rail/Road) 200 EUR (Plug-In for Barge/Road) 100 EUR (Cooling chassis for direct Truck)	Payterm Origin/Destination
Area	Charge Code OSC/DSC	Charge Name Special chassis add-on	Description This charge is applicable for providing a special chassis on request of the customer. Examples of special chassis are (amongst others) Tipping/Tilt-chassis or Side-loading chassis, facilitating the loading/unloading of cargo into/from the container. The availability as well as the cost for a special chassis must be requested in advance, before ordering the transport, and depends on regional and operational conditions.	Tariff at request	Payterm Origin/Destination
Area	Charge Code PIC	Charge Name Pick-Up Charge Export	Description For transports arranged in Merchant Haulage, empty containers will be provided at the Place of Receipt location as stated on the Bill of Lading. In exceptional cases and after confirmation by the carrier, empty containers may be supplied at an alternate location subject to a pick-up fee.	Tariff Per inland terminal / container	Payterm Origin/Destination
Area	Charge Code WTO/WTD	Charge Name Waiting Time Destination / Waiting Time Origin	Description Waiting time for Inland haulage after the free waiting time of 2 hours	Tariff EUR 50 per half hour	Payterm Origin/Destination
Area Non-fulfilment	Charge Code LPF	Charge Name Late Payment Fee	Description Late payment fee will be applicable when payment has not been remitted within 7 days from the invoice due date, or later than otherwise agreed payment terms.	Tariff 50 USD per invoice	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code PAO	Charge Name Payer Amendment Fee - Origin	Description Charge applicable for change of prepaid payer or payment terms after the first prepaid invoice	Tariff 40 EUR per B/L	Payterm Origin
Area	Charge Code PAD	Charge Name Payer Amendment Fee - Destination	Description Charge applicable for change of collect payer after the ETA of the final vessel	Tariff 40 EUR per B/L	Payterm Destination
Area	Charge Code MID	Charge Name Mis declaration fee- Origin	Description This is a penalty charge imposed for the Shipper for Mis declaration of cargo as Non- Dangerous instead of Dangerous cargo or for Mis-declaration of dimensions in Out of Gauge cargo.	Tariff For details contact local office	Payterm Origin

Download below import procedure documents

Guideline - Import shipments to Switzerland

PDF (177KB)

Letter of Authorization

DOCX (25KB)

Commodity

No specific restrictions apply

Weight / Measurement

Gross weight is defined as follows:

Rail:

maximum container capacity

Truck:

maximum legal road weight: 38 tons total (including truck, chassis, container and cargo)
maximum payload: 21 tons for 20´ containers - 19 tons for 40´ containers
permits for special chassis are subject to approval by respective customer service desk