ATHENS (Bloomberg) -- The Far Eastern Freight Conference, comprising 16 shipping companies, agreed to increase freight rates between Europe and Asia for three months from July 1 because of higher refrigeration costs.

Customers will pay an extra $300 for a general purpose container and $400 for a refrigerated container on routes from Asia, excluding Japan, to northern Europe, the Baltic, Scandinavia, and the Mediterranean, the group announced yesterday in Athens-based newspaper Naftemporiki.

Shippers already impose a peak-season surcharge of $135 on the routes.

FEFC, whose members include A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, the world's biggest shipping line, and Nippon Yusen K.K., Japan's largest shipping company, will impose the higher charges through Sept. 30.