Samsung Electronics America (SEA) has filed a formal complaint against CMA CGM with the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), demanding at least $186 million in reparations. The claim centers on alleged shipping and inland transportation failures that Samsung says occurred between 2020 and 2023, during the height of pandemic-era supply chain disruption.
The filing accuses the world’s third-largest container line of widespread violations of the US Shipping Act. At issue are inland transportation obligations, demurrage and detention charges, rail storage costs, and cargo release practices.
Breaking Down the $186 Million Claim
Samsung’s total demand consists of three distinct components:
- $148 million in allegedly unlawful demurrage, detention, and rail storage charges
- $8.1 million in operational mitigation costs
- $30 million in prejudgment interest
According to the complaint, these charges escalated to unsustainable levels and posed a significant threat to Samsung’s ability to keep US retail shelves stocked with its products.
The “Store Door” Delivery Dispute
At the core of the case lies a disagreement over “store door” delivery arrangements. Under these contracts, the ocean carrier takes responsibility for arranging and funding inland movement of containers, whether by rail or truck, from the discharge port to the customer’s warehouse or distribution center.
Samsung alleges that, starting around 2020, CMA CGM repeatedly failed to meet these inland transportation obligations. The carrier cited severe port congestion and a shortage of rail chassis as the cause. Samsung contends that, despite CMA CGM’s commitments under the relevant through bills of lading, the carrier shifted the financial burden of its service failures onto the shipper.
More Than 121,000 Disputed Charges
Samsung claims it was billed for over 121,000 separate demurrage, detention, and rail storage charges. These charges, it argues, stemmed from delays entirely outside its control.
One example involves containers that arrived at an inland rail ramp in 2021. Samsung alleges that CMA CGM’s failure to provide the required inland transportation triggered more than $3.7 million in rail storage charges alone.
The complaint contains a further allegation: Samsung says CMA CGM applied “finance holds” and account suspensions on unrelated import shipments. The tactic, according to the filing, was intended to pressure Samsung into paying disputed demurrage invoices.
Failed Attempts to Settle
Samsung says it tried to resolve the matter directly, holding meetings with CMA CGM in 2025 and 2026. Those discussions, the complaint states, produced no meaningful resolution. Samsung maintains that CMA CGM declined to reimburse the disputed demurrage, detention, and related costs.
The filing also references several other cases brought before the FMC against CMA CGM by major retailers and other businesses over the carrier’s detention and demurrage practices. In 2024, CMA CGM agreed to pay $1.98 million to settle allegations that it had improperly billed a third party that should never have been charged.
What Comes Next
Samsung has requested a formal hearing before the Federal Maritime Commission in Washington, D.C.
Should Samsung prevail, the case could rank among the largest post-pandemic regulatory claims filed against a major container carrier in the United States. The outcome may also carry wider consequences for the industry, particularly in how carriers allocate responsibility for inland transportation delays, demurrage, detention, and rail storage costs. For shippers and carriers alike, the decision could reshape expectations around service obligations under through bills of lading.
Source:apollo global experts