Samsung seeks $186 million from CMA CGM in shipping dispute

Samsung Electronics America has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) seeking at least $186 million in damages from the French shipping giant CMA CGM. The dispute centers on container charges and logistics failures occurring between 2020 and 2023 during pandemic-era supply chain disruptions.

Samsung alleges that under “store door” shipping contracts, CMA CGM was responsible for moving containers from overseas factories through U.S. ports to inland destinations. Samsung claims that CMA CGM failed to fulfill these inland transportation obligations due to port congestion, chassis shortages, and trucking issues. Despite these failures, Samsung asserts it was forced to pay over 121,000 instances of demurrage, detention, and rail storage fees.

The complaint highlights extreme costs, including a single rail shipment storage fee exceeding $160,000 and a Savannah-based rail operation totaling approximately $3.75 million in storage costs. Samsung also accuses CMA CGM of unilaterally converting prepaid “store door” shipments into “container yard” (CY) moves, effectively shifting the responsibility for inland transport back to Samsung.