Public invited to weigh in on proposed hike in shipping rates by Young Brothers

The State of Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission is holding hearings around the neighbor islands where the public can weigh in on a proposed temporary rate increase and tariff changes by the shipping company Young Brothers.

In February, the carrier company sought an order granting it a temporary rate increase to be implemented in two steps – a first-step increase of 20% by April and a second-step increase of 5% by July.

These temporary rate increases would be applied evenly across all regulated cargo rates. For more efficient service lines requiring less cargo handling, rates would increase by 20% to 35%. Services requiring additional or special handling will increase by 35% to 45%.

Examples include:

• Less-than-container-load would increase 35% and less-than-pallet rates would go up 45%.

• Cost to ship a container would go up 20%, with the exception of containers shipped to and from Hilo, which would increase 35%. 

• Price to ship a car and roll-on-roll-off cargo would increase 30%.

• Palletized cargo rates would increase 30% for dry and 40% for refrigerated freight.

According to the limited liability company’s application, the increase is intended to help mitigate rising operation costs.

An in-person meeting is scheduled for tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority Hale Iako Building, Collaboration Area, located at 73-970 Makako Bay Drive.

There will also be an in-person meeting in Hilo on April 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hawaiʻi Community College, Building 388, Rooms 101 & 102, located at 1175 Manono St.

Young Brothers first filed its intent to raise rates with the commission on Oct. 15, 2024, requesting the body approve a total revenue increase of $26,368,923 (27.06%) over revenues at current effective rates.

For more details on Young Brothers and the rate increase application, click here.