Avoid the holiday season trap

We all look forward to the extended break over Christmas and the New Year, but there are pitfalls ready to catch out the unprepared shipper.

While most shipping related costs are valid and unavoidable, demurrage, detention and some port charges catch unwary shippers, particularly as these charges are not waived over the holiday season, and you will need to plan collections and deliveries around the port opening times.Port storage is levied by the port after the expiry of free days and may be charged for a full container that is uncleared (imports) or a full container yet to be shipped (exports) or for an empty container sitting in the port.

Different ports/terminals offer different days free of storage (free days) and this needs to be closely monitored as port charges can run into very heavy amounts.

Demurrage is levied by the shipping line when the importer has not taken delivery of the full container and move it out of the port/terminal area for unpacking within the allowed line free days.

Detention is the charge levied by the shipping line, when the importer has taken the full container for unpacking, but have not returned the empty container before the expiry of the allowed line free days.

It is also worth bearing in mind early and late arrival charges, which relate to the opening and closing of stacks and can exacerbated at holiday times.

The following Port Closure dates, are the most currently communicated for the Christmas Period.

FELIXSTOWE
Tue 24/12/209  19:00 – Thu 26/12/2019 07:00 PORT CLOSED
Thu 26/12/2019 07:00 – Fri 27/12/2019   07:00 VOLUNTARY LABOUR
Tue 31/12/2019 19:00 – Wed 01/01/2020 19:00 PORT CLOSED
Wed 01/01/2020 19:00 – Thu 02/01/2020 07:00 VOLUNTARY LABOUR

LONDON GATEWAY
Tue 24/12/2019 18:00 – Tue 24/12/2019 21:59 VOLUNTARY LABOUR
Tue 24/12/2019 22:00 – Fri 27/12/2019 06:00  PORT CLOSED
*Working throughout the New Year period.*

SOUTHAMPTON
Tue 24/12/2019 18:00 – Wed 25/12/2019 08:00 PORT CLOSED
Wed 25/12/2019 08:00 – Fri 27/12/2019 08:00 PORT CLOSED
Tue 31/12/2019 17:00 – Wed 01/01/2020 12:00 PORT CLOSED

TILBURY
Tue 24/12/2019 21:30 – Thu 26/12/2019 22:00 PORT CLOSED
Tue 31/12/2019 21:30 – Wed 01/01/2020 22:00 PORT CLOSED

PORTSMOUTH
Tue 24/12/2019 18:00 – Fri 27/12/2019 08:00  PORT CLOSED
Tue 31/12/2019 17:00 – Wed 01/01/2020 12:00 PORT CLOSED

ROTTERDAM 
APM TERMINALS ROTTERDAM  /  APM TERMINAL MAASVLAKTE II   /  DELTA CONTAINER TERMINAL  / UNIPORT MULTIPURPOSE TERMINALS BV

Tue 24/12/2019 15:00 – Thu 26/12/2019 07:00 PORT CLOSED
Tue 31/12/2019 15:00 – Wed 01/01/2020 15:00 PORT CLOSED