€35 million a year: The rising cost of shipping ro-ro trailers to and from Malta

From today, Malta starts facing another major increase in the cost of moving goods to and from Europe, with the combined EU ETS, FuelEU and BAF surcharge set to reach an estimated annual burden of €35 million, the Association of International Trucks and Trailer Operators said Thursday.

The increase is immediate and substantial, the statement said. Effective 1 October 2026 revised “EU ETS + FuelEU + BAF Surcharge” rates have been introduced on the Malta to Genoa service. The rates will apply until 31 December 2026 and will then be reviewed quarterly.

“This is a burden that European Union policy is placing on all Maltese citizens simply because we are an island. It is an unfair burden that will have repercussions on businesses and ultimately, all Maltese consumers,” said Joseph Bugeja, ATTO Chairman .

All operators have started contacting their respective clients to inform them of the increased rates.

The surcharge for a trailer travelling from Genoa to Malta rises from €35 to €39 per linear metre, translating into €530.40 per trailer. The same €530.40 applies to the return journey from Malta to Genoa, meaning that every trailer making a Genoa-Malta-Genoa round trip will now incur €1,060.80 in these surcharges alone.

The €35 million annual figure has been calculated on over 55,000 trailers originating mainly from Genoa but also to and from other Italian ports each year. Based on the new €1,060.80 round-trip charge, this represents an annual cost of approximately €35 million.

“Virtually everything Malta imports to sustain its economy and economic activity must cross the sea. Unlike most countries on mainland Europe, Maltese businesses have no alternative. Malta must stand up and challenge a policy designed for Europe as a whole but imposed on an island economy without adequately considering our unique geographic disadvantage.”

“The annual €35 million is being presented as Malta’s environmental bill. Safeguarding the environment is important, but environmental policy cannot come at the price of disproportionately penalising an island that has no alternative to maritime transport. This is an additional cost being imposed on Malta’s entire supply chain and it will ultimately be paid by Maltese businesses, families and consumers.”