A U.S. Federal Maritime Commission report on port congestion impact on demurrage and detention fees stopped short of recommending agency action and invited the industry to provide evidence of allegedly unreasonable practices.
The 64-page report, available at fmc.gov, described demurrage, which is charged for storage of containers on terminal space beyond allowable free time, and detention fees levied by carriers for late return of containers.
The FMC report followed four regional forums the commission hosted last year, and continuing complaints by shippers and truckers who say they’ve been hit with fees for unavoidable late pickup or delivery of containers at congested ports.
Commissioner William Doyle urged industry stakeholders to read the report, and to share their comments. “All stakeholders in the supply chain should read the report and actively engage with each other in the industry,” he said in a statement.