Ports and shipping companies have complex contracts covering all kinds of services. Container storage for a few days is just part of normal operations, included in the docking fee. Longer-term storage is often included as well.
Even if your “free storage” clause has some built-in limit, it is not trivial to invoke such an exception. Keep in mind that this is an industry with few players where people know each other, and have to work together on a long-term basis. If the port tries charging, then maybe the shipping company replies “well, technically you guys aren’t upholding the guaranteed turn-around times, which we have been very gracious about” etc etc.
And yes, $100 per container-day is a ludicrous number. It’s meant to exert pressure, not to clear the market. It’s easily more than 10x of a reasonable fee (I can’t put an exact figure on this, since it’s usually not charged on a per-container basis, and varies a lot by location).
Ports and shipping companies have complex contracts covering all kinds of services. Container storage for a few days is just part of normal operations, included in the docking fee. Longer-term storage is often included as well.
Even if your “free storage” clause has some built-in limit, it is not trivial to invoke such an exception. Keep in mind that this is an industry with few players where people know each other, and have to work together on a long-term basis. If the port tries charging, then maybe the shipping company replies “well, technically you guys aren’t upholding the guaranteed turn-around times, which we have been very gracious about” etc etc.
And yes, $100 per container-day is a ludicrous number. It’s meant to exert pressure, not to clear the market. It’s easily more than 10x of a reasonable fee (I can’t put an exact figure on this, since it’s usually not charged on a per-container basis, and varies a lot by location).