Officials at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are delaying to the end this month implementation of the “Container Dwell Fee” that would charge ocean carriers for imports lingering past their allotted time at terminals.
The new tentative start date for collecting on the fee is set for Aug. 26, the longest stretch of time the ports have postponed the fee launch. Previously, they had been moving the start date weekly based on how quickly ocean carriers have been able to move cargo off their docks.
So far, Los Angeles and Long Beach port officials have seen a combined 26% drop in older cargo since announcing the fee Oct. 25. They plan to review the data over the next month to determine whether to postpone or implement.
The temporary fee was developed by the ports along with the Biden-Harris Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, U.S. Department of Transportation and members of the supply chain to reduce the number of containers clogging up the nation’s two busiest seaports.
The fee seeks to bill ocean carriers $100 for every import that stays at terminals nine or more days. The rises in $100 increments per import per day until the container is gone.
The fee is in place through at least Oct. 26.
