The increases include hikes of $125 per container westbound and $60 per eastbound container as well as terminal handling charge increases of $25 per westbound container and $15 per eastbound container. In addition, rates for moving vehicles will increase by $25 for both westbound and eastbound travel, while the terminal handling charge will rise from $30 to $35 per vehicle.

"This rate increase will help offset rises in contractual operating costs and support a number of investments in our Hawai'i service that will deliver value and provide the state with modern, reliable ocean transportation services in the future," said James Andrasick, Matson president and chief executive.

"This rate increase is consistent with our long-standing philosophy of implementing modest, incremental increases as necessary."

Andrasick said international container rates in the Pacific have risen by $700 per container during the past 12 months. In addition, the company said it spent $220 million on two new container ships and $90 million on improvements to is roll-on, roll-off vehicle moving service, terminal improvements, new container equipment and security measures.

Matson’s last across-the-board rate increase was 2.9 percent in April 2002.

In September the ocean transportation shipping company raised its fuel surcharge from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent to offset rising fuel costs. The change increased the surcharge on the $908 cost to ship a car between the West Coast and Honolulu by about $9.