COPLEY, Ohio—Due to the ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels on civilian container ships attempting to enter the Suez Canal and the impact it has had on the global supply chain and associated freight costs, BKT USA Inc. said it will be implementing an additional freight surcharge on all shipments starting Feb. 12.
The company said ocean freight rate have more than tripled since November.
The freight rate will increase by $2,000 for East coast and Gulf coast shipments and by $500 for West coast shipments.
"Please take into consideration that while our production lead times remain steady, the ocean transit time will increase by anywhere from 15 – 28 days due to the re-routing of container vessels through the Cape of Good Hope (Africa), a 3,500-mile diversion," BKT said in a notice to its customers.
The company recommended that customers order product 45 days sooner than their current projections.