Samsung Electronics America has filed a $186 million complaint against CMA CGM with the Federal Maritime Commission, alleging the carrier systematically billed the electronics maker for inland transportation failures the carrier itself was contractually obligated to fix.
The complaint, filed with the FMC, accuses the world’s third-largest container line of violating the U.S. Shipping Act through unjust practices around inland transportation, demurrage and detention billing, and cargo release between 2020 and 2023. Samsung says CMA CGM failed to meet its delivery obligations, under which the carrier is contractually responsible for moving containers by rail or truck from the discharge port to an inland warehouse, and instead shifted the resulting costs onto Samsung, citing port congestion and chassis shortages as justification.
Samsung says it was hit with more than 121,000 separate demurrage, detention, and rail storage charges tied to delays it says were outside its control, including one case where CMA CGM’s failure to move containers from an inland rail ramp in 2021 generated over $3.7 million in storage fees alone. The $186 million claim breaks down as $148 million in disputed demurrage, detention, and rail storage charges; $8.1 million in mitigation costs Samsung incurred taking over inland moves itself; and $30 million in prejudgment interest. Samsung also alleges CMA CGM imposed “finance holds” on unrelated shipments to pressure payment of disputed invoices, and says talks held in 2025 and 2026 failed to resolve the dispute. The company has requested a formal FMC hearing in Washington, D.C.
IAM Member Impact: Members handling moves through-bill-of-lading arrangements with ocean carriers should review who bears responsibility for inland delays and document any instances where congestion-related charges were passed on despite the carrier holding the inland obligation.
Source: Seatrade-Maritime