New Environmental Regulations to Impact Sea Freight Costs from July 2025

Starting 1 July 2025, national regulations in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark will prohibit the discharge of wash water from open-loop scrubbers into their territorial waters. This change will affect the cost structure of DHL Freight’s sea freight services.

In accordance with the new legislation, vessels operating in these areas must either use closed-loop scrubbers, switch to low-sulphur fuels instead of heavy fuel oil (HFO), or avoid these territorial waters altogether. Each of these options will result in increased costs for shipping lines, which will impact the overall freight chain.

Impact on DHL Freight Customers

As DHL Freight relies on multiple shipping lines and routes that pass through Nordic waters, this regulation will have a direct impact on our services. Therefore, as of 1 July 2025, we will update the terms of our fuel, environmental and ETS surcharges. These updates are likely to result in increases to the surcharge amounts.

At this stage, we are unable to provide an exact estimate of the cost impact, as final pricing details from shipping lines are still pending. We expect to receive more detailed information during week 26 and will communicate any confirmed changes immediately thereafter.

We Are Closely Monitoring the Situation

DHL Freight remains committed to responsible logistics and full compliance with all applicable environmental regulations. We will continue to keep our customers informed as the situation develops and encourage you to contact your DHL Freight representative with any questions.

More information:
Please reach out to your designated DHL Freight contact or our customer service team.