Ocean carriers rushed to clear thousands of empty containers that had been sitting doing nothing in and around the Port of New York and New Jersey – a response to the threat of a “container imbalance fee” on carriers that keep empty containers in the port for too long.
Extra ships, port rotation changes, and cross-chartering of space were three of the responses that were hurriedly introduced by the carriers.
A Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) filing saw the NY-NJ note that its planned “container imbalance fee” had resulted in ocean carriers getting rid of some 3,500 empty containers from the port in July and August. The fee was originally due to go into effect on September 1st, but was delayed due to possible modifications to the tariff’s language. A new implementation date has not been made public.
As originally drafted, the $100-per container fee would have been applied if ocean carriers did not remove at least 10% more containers than they dropped off during any single quarter.
The fee had been mooted from June onwards as an attempt to reduce in number the 200,000 empty containers that the PANYNJ said were “lingering” in the region, with many of those in trucker and warehouse yards.
“Empty containers continue to be a major challenge as the PANYNJ experiences record volumes,” the port said in the filing, which was in response to the FMC’s request for industry comment on whether to enact an emergency order calling for greater data sharing to combat port congestion.
The Port has noted that “the announcement of the new container imbalance fee has encouraged ocean carriers to evacuate empties more quickly from NY/NJ. Ocean carriers calling on the PANYNJ have cited evacuating over 6,000 teu between July-August 2022.”
Ocean carriers rushed to clear thousands of empty containers that had been sitting doing nothing in and around the Port of New York and New Jersey – a response to the threat of a “container imbalance fee” on carriers that keep empty containers in the port for too long.
Extra ships, port rotation changes, and cross-chartering of space were three of the responses that were hurriedly introduced by the carriers.
A Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) filing saw the NY-NJ note that its planned “container imbalance fee” had resulted in ocean carriers getting rid of some 3,500 empty containers from the port in July and August. The fee was originally due to go into effect on September 1st, but was delayed due to possible modifications to the tariff’s language. A new implementation date has not been made public.
As originally drafted, the $100-per container fee would have been applied if ocean carriers did not remove at least 10% more containers than they dropped off during any single quarter.
The fee had been mooted from June onwards as an attempt to reduce in number the 200,000 empty containers that the PANYNJ said were “lingering” in the region, with many of those in trucker and warehouse yards.
“Empty containers continue to be a major challenge as the PANYNJ experiences record volumes,” the port said in the filing, which was in response to the FMC’s request for industry comment on whether to enact an emergency order calling for greater data sharing to combat port congestion.
The Port has noted that “the announcement of the new container imbalance fee has encouraged ocean carriers to evacuate empties more quickly from NY/NJ. Ocean carriers calling on the PANYNJ have cited evacuating over 6,000 teu between July-August 2022.”
Many of those empties have left on sweepers calling at the port, with 11 ships over the course of June and July alone, according to data from PANYNJ. More sweeps occurred in September, according to sources.
Many of those empties have left on sweepers calling at the port, with 11 ships over the course of June and July alone, according to data from PANYNJ. More sweeps occurred in September, according to sources.