Storage and demurrage at the same terminal
Both charges pay for time, but they can come from different parties. Demurrage is tied to the container and is often set in the carrier's tariff, even when the terminal collects it. Storage is a facility's charge for occupying its space, set in a terminal schedule or a warehouse rate sheet. Some ports produce one bill and others two, with different free periods. Before paying, check who issued the charge, which schedule it cites and which days it covers.
Storage beyond the terminal gate
Storage charges follow cargo wherever it waits, and each facility sets its own free period and rates. That means one delayed import can collect storage in more than one place, for example at the terminal and then at an exam station. Goods sent to general order are stored at the consignee's risk and expense under U.S. customs rules, so unentered cargo can build up storage quickly.
- Trucker or drayage yards after a pre-pull
- Container freight stations holding devanned LCL cargo
- Exam stations while a container waits for CBP
- Bonded and general order warehouses
Questions to ask before storage piles up
Storage escalates quietly because no milestone announces it. Ask for the free period and daily rate when cargo arrives, not when the invoice does. In U.S. trades, the FMC defines demurrage and detention by what a charge pays for, use of terminal space or containers, rather than by its name. A marine terminal charge labeled storage may therefore fall under the same billing rules, so check it as carefully as a demurrage invoice.
Example
After an LCL container is devanned at a container freight station, one importer's cartons sit uncollected past the station's free period, and the CFS bills storage until a trucker picks them up.
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Official sources
Questions
What does Storage Charges mean?
Storage charges are fees a terminal, depot or warehouse bills for holding a container or cargo on its premises after its free period ends. Depending on the port, they may be billed alongside the carrier's demurrage or instead of it.
Are storage charges the same as demurrage?
Not always. Demurrage is usually linked to the carrier's container, while storage is a facility's charge for its space. Some U.S. terminals bill a single charge under their own schedule, so check who issued the invoice.
Who pays storage on an import?
Usually the consignee or importer, either directly or through the trucker or forwarder that passes it on. Sales terms and contracts decide who absorbs it in the end.