A Primer on Port Charges: How Port Charges Affect Your Business (2024)

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  • Melanie
  • July 4, 2017

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The cost of shipping inventory can be significant – depending on your market position, your business may bear the transportation costs for inbound materials, outbound finished goods or even both. Although it is worthwhile understanding what factors affect transportation costs, port charges can be particularly difficult to understand.

What are port charges?

Port charges are the fees that shipping operators and their customers pay to port authorities for the use of the port’s facilities and services. Port charges can be a significant component (up to several percent) of the final price of consumer goods. There are many different port charges, although some of the most common fees are ship dues, goods dues and, in the case of mixed-use or passenger ships, passenger dues.

Ship dues

Ship dues, also known as port dues or docking dues, are levied by the port on all ships that enter the port. Ship dues are generally intended to cover the cost of port infrastructure, including berths, channel lighting and pilotage. Ship dues also reflect the scarcity of space at many ports.

Although each port will have its own methodology for calculating ship dues, the amount payable is likely to be determined by reference to the gross or net registered tonnage of the ship in accordance with the ship’s tonnage certificate. The time that the ship spends in port will also be relevant, as may be the nature of the voyage – vessels travelling to or from a foreign port may sometimes be charged higher dues than domestic carriers.

Ports may charge specific dues for a given time period (e.g. two days) as well as a daily rate if a vessel needs to stay at the port longer (for example, for repairs or to shelter from a storm). Discounted port charges may be granted to operators that regularly use a port or vessels that are only calling in for limited purposes.

Goods dues

These charges are levied on goods that are loaded or unloaded as well as on goods that are transferred between ships. These charges are typically paid by the customer, rather than by the shipping operator. Goods dues may vary between ports, but rates are typically set on the basis of weight, volume or number and nature of goods. For example, liquids or dry matter may be charged on a volume basis, palletized cargo on a tonnage basis, and vehicles and livestock on a per unit basis. Additional dues may be charged for dangerous cargo.

How port charges affect shipping decisions

As port charges may vary between ports, businesses may find that certain ports provide better rates for a given service level and type of shipment. For example, a business that primarily ships palletized cargo may preferentially ship to and from ports that have low tonnage rates relative to other goods dues.

That said, customers often look beyond a port’s current tariffs and instead consider the stability of a particular port’s charges. An experienced exporter is unlikely to switch ports on the basis of a short-term decrease in goods dues, only for the price to increase months later. Road and rail transport costs to and from ports are also relevant – lower port charges may need to be balanced against the availability of rail routes as well as the price of overland transport.

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Melanie

Article by Melanie Chan in collaboration with our team of Unleashed Software inventory and business specialists. Melanie has been writing about inventory management for the past three years. When not writing about inventory management, you can find her eating her way through Auckland.

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A Primer on Port Charges: How Port Charges Affect Your Business (2024)

FAQs

A Primer on Port Charges: How Port Charges Affect Your Business? ›

Port charges are the fees that shipping operators and their customers pay to port authorities for the use of the port's facilities and services. Port charges can be a significant component (up to several percent) of the final price of consumer goods.

Why are port charges important? ›

The basic principle is that port users pay a price or tariff for the services offered to them and the facilities they use. Price has the greatest effect on the profitability of both the providers and the users of the service and is one of the “P” components of marketing (product, price, promotion, and place).

What are port fee charges? ›

Port dues are one of the many charges that shipping companies and carriers have to pay to ship cargo. These charges help fund and maintain the port infrastructure.

What are port service charges? ›

Some port charges are fees that the shipping operators pay to the port authorities for their services. Other port charges are penalties that you pay to the port authorities or the shipping lines. These are charged if shipment is early, late or there's some last minute change in its route.

What is port charges in accounting? ›

Bunker Cost − Cost of water, coal, diesel, fuel, etc. used for the purpose of voyage is called bunker cost and may debited from the voyage account. Port Charges − Port authorities charge fees for allowing ships to use port for the loading/unloading the cargo. This fee amount is debited from the voyage account.

Why are ports important to industry? ›

Container ports are essential nodes in global supply chains and are crucial to the growth strategies of many emerging economies. The development of high-quality port infrastructure, operated efficiently, has often been a prerequisite for successful growth strategies, particularly those driven by exports.

What are the benefits of port services? ›

Ports facilitate the movement of goods and services between markets, reducing transport costs and enhancing efficiency. Port expansion can also enable the diversification of export products, the attraction of foreign direct investment, and the integration into regional and global value chains.

What are examples of port charges? ›

Port Charges all charges of whatsoever nature (including garbage disposal, wharfa*ge, taxes, levies, rates, tolls and dues of every description) in respect of any LNG Vessel entering, arriving or staying at or leaving the FSRU Site or the Port, including charges imposed by fire boats, tugs and escort vessels, any ...

How are port fees calculated? ›

The actual charge for port dues is set by the port authority of the location where the ship is docking. The amount of money charged will vary depending on a few factors, including whether it's day or night when the ship docks, what type of vessel it is, how long it stays at that location, and its weight.

Are port fees per person? ›

Port fees are exactly what they sound like: fees charged by ports to the cruise line, which are passed on to the passenger. They're assessed based on the number of passengers and size (tonnage) of the ship, which is why all guests onboard pay the same amount of these charges..

What is per diem port charges? ›

What is a per diem charge? A per diem charge is the fee the ocean carrier charges for each day past the number of “free” days that the container is away from port. Per diem is also known as detention.

Who is responsible for demurrage charges? ›

Demurrage charges are enacted by the authority owning the land or space where the containers are being stored. The owner of the containers, who is usually the shipper, is the one who is responsible for demurrage charges.

What is demurrage port fee? ›

Demurrage charges and cost

The cost of demurrage charges vary depending on carriers, terminals, and contractual agreements. However, they tend to be anywhere between $75 to $300 per container/ per day.

Why are ports important for shipping? ›

Ports are the maritime entry and exit points of a country's logistics network, making them vital for the global supply chain. They serve as a link between customers who receive goods from abroad, suppliers who export them and shipping companies who transport them.

Why is port congestion important? ›

The economic consequences of port congestion can be significant, as it can lead to higher costs for shipping companies, delayed deliveries, and lost revenue for businesses that rely on the timely transport of goods.

Why is port connectivity important? ›

Generally, the higher port connectivity is, the more attractive it is to facilitate cargo transportation and reduce transportation costs and time.

Why is port management important? ›

The management of ports plays a significant role in the management and control of transportation cost, total delivery time from the source to the final destination and its variability, cargo security, and reliability of the logistics company, and eventually its throughput.

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