In what could be a trendsetter, the Port of Los Angeles has informed carriers that it’s mooting a demurrage charge that will come into effect on January 30 if approved, to free its terminals of empty containers and speed up supply-chain flows,.
The charge, which is currently being considered by the Los Angeles Harbour Commission, will see lines having to pay $100 per unloaded box that is not collected after nine days.
Thereafter, charges will increase by increments of $100 per container for every extra day of dwell time.
If approved, the penalty system will be implemented at the discretion of the port’s executive director, Gene Seroka.
It is clearly intended to alleviate congestion at the port, which has seen carriers lining up for days outside the port to offload a crush of Asia-Pacific cargo going into the States, as exiting boxes clog up container space and hamper import flows.
Seroka said: “While we have seen significant success reducing import containers on our docks the past two months, too many empty containers are currently sitting on marine terminals.
“Just like the import dwell fee, the objective with this empty container programme is not to collect fees but to free up valuable space on our docks, clearing the way for more ships and improving fluidity.”
An announcement on the matter is expected by the middle of the month once the commission has convened on January 13.