Maltese trailers ‘face €272 surcharge’ for Genoa trip due to war-driven cost surges  

Trailers delivering goods to Malta are facing a surcharge due to rising fuel and bunker prices following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. 

The Association of Trailer and Truck Operations (ATTO) warned that rising bunker prices are prompting shipping lines and freight operators to adjust their rates.

ATTO said one operator has already announced a surcharge adding €272 per trailer for a round trip between Malta and Genoa. 

Combined with the €734 per trailer surcharge following the full implementation of the EU’s controversial Emissions Trading System (ETS) for shipping, the cumulative first-quarter increase now amounts to approximately €1,006 per trailer.

Multiplied by the 650 weekly trailers that navigate this route, this amounts to an extra €653,900 per week. 

A second operator has yet to confirm whether it will introduce similar increases, though a decision is expected shortly. 

ATTO warned that these higher costs, together with the increased costs of fuel, will ultimately be borne by Malta’s consumers.

While the Maltese government has subsidised fuel, the same is not true for all countries; indeed ATTO said a leading international trailer operator has registered an increase of €14,600 per week in fuel-related costs alone before additional market adjustments.

The association urged the EU to immediately suspend the ETS obligations on Malta to take into account the country’s reality as an island state that relies on sea transport to import foods.

“Malta’s geographic isolation means policies designed for continental transport routes disproportionately penalise island states like Malta,” said ATTO Chairman Joseph Bugeja.

“The ETS was already putting Maltese operators at a disadvantage. The current surge in bunker prices has made the situation unsustainable.”

“These increases will ripple through the supply chain, affecting importers, shop owners, and ultimately Maltese consumers,” he added.

“We urge an immediate suspension of ETS obligations on Malta until a fair mechanism is developed that reflects the realities of island economies.”

“Without corrective action, these escalating costs risk eroding Malta’s competitiveness, undermining the logistics sector, and placing an unsustainable burden on businesses and households.”

Cover photo: Joseph Bugeja/ATTO