Berth congestion surcharge

A berth congestion surcharge is an accessorial charge a liner carrier adds to ocean freight when a port cannot work calling vessels promptly, so ships wait at anchor for a berth. The carrier recovers the cost of the lost ship time, extra bunkers, and schedule disruption by levying a fixed sum per TEU or per container against affected port pairs. It is published in the carrier’s tariff and applied with notice, typically when queues at hub ports such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Shanghai run for days. It is distinct from demurrage, which is charged to cargo interests for containers overstaying free time on the terminal.