Samsung Electronics America (SEA) is seeking at least $186 million in reparations from CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container shipping line, in one of the largest post-pandemic regulatory claims brought before US regulators against a major container carrier.
The complaint, recently filed with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), accuses CMA CGM of widespread violations of the US Shipping Act. Samsung alleges that the carrier engaged in unjust and unreasonable practices involving inland transportation, demurrage and detention billing, as well as cargo release policies, during the period from 2020 to 2023.
The total claim amounts to $186 million. This includes $148 million in alleged unlawful demurrage, detention and rail storage charges, $8.1 million in operational mitigation expenses and $30 million in prejudgment interest.
“The staggering costs of demurrage and detention charges were unsustainable, presented a material threat to SEA’s ability to provide its products to US consumers, and made it necessary to bring this complaint,” Samsung states in its filing.
Failed attempts to resolve the dispute
Samsung says it sought to settle the dispute through in-person meetings with CMA CGM in 2025 and 2026. According to the complaint, however, those efforts failed to produce a meaningful resolution.
“CMA CGM has refused to engage meaningfully in efforts to address SEA’s claims and resolve the disputes with repayment of demurrage and detention and related charges SEA was forced to pay,” the filing states.
At the center of the dispute are so-called “store door” deliveries. Under these arrangements, an ocean carrier is contractually responsible for arranging and paying for the intermodal transportation of containers by rail and/or truck from the discharge port to a warehouse or distribution center.
Samsung explains that, in a store door delivery, the carrier issues a through bill of lading or sea waybill identifying both the marine terminal where the container is discharged and the inland destination to which the carrier has undertaken to transport the cargo.
Samsung alleges repeated inland transportation failures
According to Samsung, CMA CGM began repeatedly failing to properly fulfill its inland transportation obligations for SEA’s merchandise from approximately 2020 onward.
The carrier allegedly attributed the disruptions to severe port congestion and shortages of rail chassis. Samsung nevertheless argues that, despite CMA CGM’s contractual responsibilities under the through bills of lading, the carrier systematically transferred the financial consequences of those service failures to the electronics company.
Samsung says it was hit with more than 121,000 separate demurrage, detention and rail storage charges resulting from delays that were entirely outside its control.
One example cited in the complaint concerns multiple containers that arrived at an inland rail ramp in 2021. Samsung alleges that CMA CGM’s failure to carry out its transportation obligations resulted in more than $3.7 million in accumulated rail storage charges.
Allegations of finance holds and account suspensions
Samsung further alleges that CMA CGM used coercive “finance holds” and account suspensions involving unrelated import shipments for which there were no outstanding issues, allegedly in an effort to force payment of disputed demurrage invoices.
The filing also points to several other complaints brought before the FMC against CMA CGM by major retailers and other parties challenging the legality of the carrier’s detention and demurrage practices.
In 2024, CMA CGM paid $1.98 million to resolve allegations that it had improperly sought payment from a third party that should not have been billed.
Samsung is now asking the FMC to hold a formal hearing on the matter at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
