Early trans-Pacific service contract negotiations are shaping up to be markedly different than in prior years, and, generally not to the benefit of importers. Container lines are reluctant to expand minimum quantity commitments (MQCs) and want to reduce how much so-called free time they provide. Some carriers are simply dropping customers whose cargo they don’t want, or only agreeing to provide contracted cargo on specific lanes. That’s a challenging negotiating environment even when considering that many importers’ 2022 volume forecasts aren’t necessarily robust. This session will address what importers need to understand and do to cross the contracting finish line with some MQC certainty, and how they can improve the likelihood that their cargo allocation guarantees are met through the life of the contract.