Container demurrage
C3. Logistics, freight forwarding and multimodal tradeDefinition
Charge for container retention at terminal beyond free time.
Container demurrage is the charge a carrier or terminal levies when an import container sits inside the terminal beyond the agreed free time, before the consignee collects it. It is distinct from detention, which runs once the box has left the terminal and is held by the consignee. The two together are billed as D&D. US shippers challenged opaque D&D billing, and the Federal Maritime Commission’s 2024 rule under the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 set invoicing-content and timing requirements.