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Container lines to roll out US west coast congestion surcharges

Container lines are to roll out congestion surcharges of up $1,000 per feu on trade from Asia for cargo moving through US West Coast ports from 17 November.

Marcus Hand, Editor

November 15, 2014

1 Min Read
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As labour-related delays continue at US ports members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) said they were now incurring losses and additional expenses due to the delays.

“Beginning November 17 carriers will assess and collect their respective charges on an individual basis for eastbound and westbound cargo,” TSA said.

TSA noted that terminal operators in Seattle and Tacoma were reporting 40 – 60% productivity reductions, while in Southern California 14 ships were at anchor waiting to berth and cargo handling operation movements had fallen to just 11 containers and hour.

“Carriers are mindful of the potential impacts of added charges on their customers and are monitoring the situation closely,” said TSA executive administrator Brian Conrad. ‘They would clearly rather not impose the charges, but are concerned that disruptions can escalate quickly across their networks, at significant cost, if they fail to respond quickly.”

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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