In what is turning into a regular weekly announcement the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (LA/LB) have postponed the introduction of a container dwell fee for the sixth week running.
The two ports said they had seen a combined 46% drop in aging cargo on the docks since the planned fee was announced on 25 October. As result the ports would be holding off $100 per container, per day dwell fee until 27 December.
LA and LB ports said they would reassess fee implementation after monitoring data over the next week.
The fee would see a $100 per day charge for containers that remained in the terminals for nine days for or more for containers moved by truck, six days for those with rail connections. The fee is to be levied shipping lines who have made it clear that it will be charged back to customers.
While the dwell times for containers have reduce the queues of ships to dock at LA/LB terminals remain as long as ever.
As of Friday 19 December some 95 containerships were queued to enter the two ports according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California. This number includes 23 containerships anchored or loitering within 40 miles of LA and LB, plus 72 container ships loitering outside the Safety and Air Quality Area (SAQA).
Source: Seatrade Maritime News
