Demurrage and storage at Mombasa: how to stop paying for lost days
Few costs anger a client more than a demurrage bill nobody warned them about. Most of it is avoidable — if someone is counting the days from the moment the box lands. Here is what the charges are, why they happen, and how to stay ahead of them.
Three different charges
| Charge | Who charges it | For what |
|---|---|---|
| Demurrage | The shipping line | Keeping the line's container inside the port or CFS beyond its free days |
| Detention | The shipping line | Keeping the container outside the port (at your client's premises) beyond the free days, until the empty is returned |
| Storage | The port or the container freight station (CFS) | Space your cargo occupies in the terminal or CFS beyond its free period |
Free days and daily rates differ by shipping line, container type and terminal, and they change. Always confirm the current free period with the line and the CFS for each consignment — do not rely on a figure from a previous shipment.
Why containers overstay
- Documents late — the original bill of lading, invoice or packing list arrives after the ship.
- Entry or permits not ready — an import permit or standards certificate still pending.
- Duty not paid in time — the client is still arranging funds.
- Inspection or verification booked late.
- No transport ready when the container is released.
- The empty not returned quickly — which turns into detention.
Six habits that stop most of it
- Start the clock at discharge, not when the file reaches your desk. Every container should show how many free days it has left.
- Ask for documents before the ship arrives. Chase the client for originals and permits when you get the arrival notice.
- Tell the client the duty figure early, with a date it must be paid by.
- Book transport before release, not after.
- Agree in writing who pays for overstay — before it happens, not after the bill arrives.
- Track the empty return as carefully as the full container.
When you cannot avoid it, re-bill it
If the delay was the client's — documents, permits or funds — the storage and demurrage should go on their invoice, with the days and the reason. Agents lose a surprising amount of money by absorbing charges they were entitled to pass on, simply because nobody linked the bill back to the file.
Let Managix do this sum for every job
Managix works out the profit on every container and trip as you enter it — fleet, cargo and clearing in one system, from USD 19 a month.
Questions
What is the difference between demurrage and storage?
Demurrage is charged by the shipping line for keeping its container beyond the free days; storage is charged by the port or container freight station for the space the cargo occupies beyond its free period.
How many free days are there at Mombasa?
It depends on the shipping line, container type and terminal, and it changes. Confirm the current free period with the line and the CFS for each consignment.