Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports Delay Fees for a Second Time—Carriers Respond
The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have postponed the date they will begin charging shipping lines a “container dwell fee” until November 29.
The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach said that since announcing the fee policy on October 25, the number of containers dwelling at the two ports has fallen by 33%. The ports said they were pleased with this progress and would continue to monitor the time imported containers spend at the terminals on a daily basis.
This is the second postponement of the “container dwell fee.”
The fee was originally scheduled to take effect on November 15. However, just before its implementation, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach announced that the start date would be postponed until November 22, as the number of containers dwelling at the ports had declined (for details, please click At the last minute, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach change course again on the “container dwell fee”!).
Officials from the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach have said that charging shipping lines would speed up the flow of containers through the terminals, thereby easing congestion and relieving supply chain pressures facing ports on the U.S. West Coast.
Although the start date for the “container dwell fee” has been postponed repeatedly, this does not mean the fee will be scrapped. On the contrary, some shipping lines have issued updates and announced specific payment procedures. Shippers should make sure they are informed.
In response to the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach postponing the fee for a second time, ONE issued a statement today (November 23), saying that starting November 29, it would allow customers to pay the “container dwell fee” through the eModal platform before cargo release. The TTI terminal (Total Terminals International) is an exception, as it plans to collect the fee directly from customers.
On November 22, Hapag-Lloyd also announced that customers could pay the fee through the eModal platform.
HMM announcement
HMM said that customers can pay the fee through its official website.
In addition, COSCO Shipping Lines has responded to questions about the “container dwell fee.” It said that because the fee is a government-imposed administrative charge, customers will be responsible for it once collected, and COSCO Shipping Lines will only collect it on their behalf.
COSCO Shipping Lines also advised customers to arrange pickup as soon as possible or seek alternatives, such as finding new off-dock storage locations, to avoid the high “container dwell fee.” COSCO Shipping Lines will provide assistance wherever possible, including changes to shipping documents and container pickup locations. The company is also actively consulting with several North American suppliers to explore potential alternatives.
On October 25, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced that they would charge shipping lines a “container dwell fee.”
The fee will be in effect for 90 days. During this period, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will charge shipping lines a surcharge of $100 per container for the following two categories of cargo, increasing by $100 per container each day until the container leaves the terminal.
Category 1: For containers scheduled to be transported by truck, the surcharge will be charged to the shipping line if the container remains at the terminal for more than 9 days (9 days included).
Category 2: For containers transported by rail, the surcharge will be charged to the shipping line if the container remains at the terminal for more than 6 days (6 days included).
