The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced Monday that they plan to delay implementing their planned “Container Dwell Fee” until Dec. 27.
The news comes as both ports reported a combined 46% decline in the amount of cargo lingering at terminals since announcing the fee Oct. 25. Harbors leaders plan to review the start of the fee again after another week of data monitoring. The fee has been repeatedly put off for a week at a time since November.
Ports officials announced the fee in October in an effort to curb the growing stacks of boxes waiting at terminals, resulting in ships at anchor and other supply chain delays.
The fee calls for ocean carriers to be charged $100 for every import that stays nine or more days before leaving by truck and six or more days before leaving by rail. There’s also an incremental charge of $100 per container that would be charged daily until the import departs a terminal.
The ports say that revenue from the dwelling cargo fee would go toward programs that would help improve cargo movement efficiency.