Port Houston has introduced plans to begin charging cargo homeowners with a dwell price for import containers lingering at marine terminals past a free interval to encourage cargo motion.

The brand new price, often called the “Sustained Import Dwell Price”, comes as Port Houston’s container terminals have skilled an inflow of cargo as inbound volumes have shifted away from the West Coast to East and Gulf Coast ports. September marked the second-biggest month ever for containers at Port Houston, following solely August 2022. Just like different ports, this cargo development has led to congestion.

The price, to be applied starting on December 1, 2022, will probably be assessed on to the Useful Cargo Homeowners (BCOs) for import containers lingering for eight days or extra. The price will probably be $45 per unit per day past the free interval. Containers won’t be launched till all terminal charges are paid.

The price is along with the demurrage costs for loaded import containers.

The brand new measure comes after Port Houston evaluated a number of choices to enhance cargo motion, together with reviewing practices applied by different U.S. ports to enhance cargo fluidity. Government Director Roger Guenther mentioned Port Houston has but to expertise any softening in import masses, and emphasised that the price was in the very best pursuits and for the good thing about all provide chain stakeholders to attenuate container dwell time to be able to preserve environment friendly operations.

Port Houston can also be contemplating rising the price, on the discretion of the Government Director, to additional encourage container motion. It will take impact following thirty days public discover and stay in impact for at the least sixty days. The “Extreme Import Dwell Price” will cost $50 per unit per day for 1-3 days after free time, $75 per unit per day for 4-7 after, $100 per unit per day for 8-13 days after, and $150 per unit per day for 14 or extra days after free time.

The Sustained Import Dwell Charges won’t proceed to accrue in the course of the interval that the Extreme Import Dwell Price is in impact.

The Southern California ports of Los Angeles and Lengthy Seaside have thought of the same long-dwelling container price, nevertheless its implementation has been postponed for greater than a yr amid enhancements in congestion.