Long Beach postpones fees

To minimise costs for Port customers, the Infrastructure Cargo Fee has been deferred until at least July 1, 2010. The Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles had planned to collect a US$6 per container cargo fee to fund critical highway and rail upgrades and repairs from July 1, 2009.

Also in response to the current slide in trade, the Port’s wharfage rate for intermodal container cargo has been reduced by 10% as an incentive for terminal operators to maintain or increase their “discretionary” cross-country cargo to reach inland destinations. The reduced rate, which could cost the Port as much as US$11m will apply from May 1, 2009 and will last for one year.

The board also approved a one year incentive that offers ocean carriers a US$20 per teu reduction on wharfage, or roughly a 10% discount, to bring intermodal cargo through Long Beach that exceeds the volumes handled from May 2008 to April 2009.