Los Angeles port extends container dwell fee to April, over 100 ships waiting across LA/LB ports

January 14, 2022: The Los Angeles port has extended the Container Excess Dwell Fee programme directed at ocean carriers till April 29, 2022.

The programme was attempted to improve cargo movement on container terminals. The move was originally approved on October 29, 2021 and was set to expire after 90 days.

Implementation of the fee continues to be at the discretion of the Executive Director. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka is yet to use the authority to trigger the fee.

“Since the announcement of the fee in October, import cargo lingering nine days or more has declined by 60 percent at the Port of Los Angeles,” Seroka said. “We’re very pleased with the progress, which is why the fee has not been enacted. Data will continue to be monitored daily as we work with our partners to find further efficiencies.”

Under the updated policy, the port has the authority to charge ocean carriers for each loaded import container dwelling nine days or more. The Port may charge ocean carriers $100 per container, increasing in $100 increments per container per day until the container leaves the terminal.

The port had announced a similar plan for empty containers at the terminals w.e.f January 30, 2022. Ocean carriers will be charged $100 for an empty container dwelling for nine days, increasing in $100 increments per container per day until the container leaves the terminal.

There are 48,550 containers dwelling at the port at the end of January 13, 2022, down 49 percent since October 24. There has been a 30 percent increase in container dwell of 9+ day more at 14,832

As an indication of no let-up in congestion, total container ships backed up across LA/LB ports totalled 101 on January 13, 2022, three fewer than the previous day, according to data from Captain J. Kipling (Kip) Louttit, Executive Director, Marine Exchange of Southern California & Vessel Traffic Service Los Angeles and Long Beach San Pedro, CA.

The 101 total container ships backed up include seven container ships at anchor or loitering inside 40 miles from the ports plus 94 slow speed steaming or loitering outside the Safety and Air Quality Area.