Demurrage
Container demurrage
Demurrage is a charge for a container or cargo left inside the port or terminal beyond free time. It applies before pickup on import or loading on export.
What it is
Demurrage is a charge that applies when a loaded container, or the cargo itself, remains inside the port or terminal for longer than the free time allowed. On imports the clock typically starts at discharge from the vessel and stops when the container is gated out. On exports it can apply when a container is gated in and then misses its intended vessel or waits beyond the allowed period.
How it works in practice
Demurrage is distinct from detention, which covers time the container spends outside the terminal, and from storage or ground rent charged by the terminal operator for occupying yard space. In practice one delayed import can attract all three. Carriers publish demurrage as a slab tariff with rising daily rates per container type, and the free period and rates vary by port, line, cargo type and contract.
Why it matters
Customs holds, missing documents, unpaid freight and late delivery orders are the usual causes. Since the charge accrues daily, consignees want release documents quickly, and carriers and agents need exact discharge and gate-out dates to bill correctly. In chartering, the same word means compensation paid to a shipowner when loading or discharging exceeds the agreed laytime, a related but separate usage.
In Sailix
How Sailix handles it
Sailix keeps demurrage and detention slab tariffs together in one profile by line and port, separated by import and export movement, container type and currency. Free days configuration holds demurrage free days and detention free days as separate figures per container. Import charges past free time are calculated when a delivery order is issued or extended, and Sailix labels the resulting invoices as detention invoices.
- Detention and demurrageSlab tariffs by line and port drive detention on delivery orders and extensions, with invoices and waivers on record.
- Free days managementRecord extra free days per container against a B/L or booking, route them for approval, and keep import detention waivers.
- Delivery orderIssue import delivery orders behind discharge, payment and detention checks, then extend validity with detention billed.
Related terms
- DetentionDetention is a charge for keeping a carrier's container outside the port or terminal beyond the free time. It runs until the empty is returned or the full is gated in.
- Free daysFree days are the period a container may be used or held without detention or demurrage charges. The carrier's tariff or a contract sets the allowance.
- Container freight stationA container freight station is a facility where cargo is stuffed into or stripped from containers. Cargo is held there under customs control pending clearance.
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