Demurrage is the fee for a loaded container sitting inside the terminal past free time. Detention is the fee for keeping the container outside the terminal past free time. Both run roughly $100 to $300 a day in 2025, and both are charged per container, per day, until the box moves.
Demurrage is inside the gate, detention is outside it
The two fees sound alike and get confused constantly, which is the first problem. Demurrage starts when a loaded container sits inside the port terminal past its free time. The terminal owns the clock, and the clock starts when the container is available for pickup, not when you feel ready to collect it. Detention starts after the container leaves the terminal, when the empty box is not returned within its own free time. One is a terminal charge, the other is a carrier charge for the box itself.
The split matters because the fixes are different. Demurrage is beaten by getting the entry released and the pickup booked before free time runs out. Detention is beaten by turning the container around fast: unload it, get it back to the depot, and do not let it sit in your yard as free storage. An importer who treats the two fees as one line item will fix the wrong one and keep paying the other.
Related reading on this site: LandedWatch and LandedWatch cover the neighbouring problems in more depth.
What the 2025 rates actually look like
Free time is the first number to know. In 2025 the norms run 5 to 7 days for demurrage at import and 7 to 10 days for detention, but the terminal sets its own clock. Los Angeles and Long Beach typically allow 5 free days on demurrage. Shanghai runs 3 to 5. Rotterdam runs 7 to 10. The daily rate after that runs $150 to $300 for demurrage and $100 to $250 for detention, with tiered rates that climb after the first few days. A 10-day delay can pass $2,000 on a single container.
The FMC tightened the rules in 2025, and that helps importers who keep records. Carriers and terminals have to bill demurrage and detention clearly, and the FMC requires refunds within 30 days when a charge is proven unreasonable. Port congestion caused about 42 percent of 2025 detention and demurrage incidents, which means the delay is often not the importer's fault at all. The dispute turns on timestamps: gate-out, pickup appointment, and entry release time.
The three moves that keep the fees off your bill
First, file the entry before the vessel docks. An entry summary filed late is the most common reason a container sits past free time, and it is entirely in the importer's control. Second, book the pickup appointment the day the vessel arrives, not the day the container becomes available. Appointment slots fill up, and a container that is available but unbooked still burns free time. Third, track the fees per entry, not per quarter. A landed cost model that leaves demurrage out will keep underpricing the product.
The honest way to budget for these fees is as a risk line, not a zero. Most shipments will never see them. The one that does will cost more than a year of careful budgeting saves. Put a per-container allowance in the landed cost, review the actuals every month, and push the number into the quote when the pattern shows up. A fee you budget for is a cost. A fee you discover is a loss.
Frequently asked questions
How do demurrage and detention differ?
Demurrage applies while a loaded container sits inside the port terminal past its free time. Detention applies after the container leaves the terminal and the empty box is not returned within its free time. One is a terminal charge, the other is a carrier charge for the container itself.
How many free days do I get before demurrage starts?
It depends on the port and the carrier, but 2025 norms run 5 to 7 days for demurrage at import and 7 to 10 days for detention. Los Angeles and Long Beach typically allow 5 free days on demurrage. Check the terminal tariff for your port, because free time is set per terminal, not per shipment.
Can I dispute a demurrage charge?
Yes, and the FMC 2025 rules help. Carriers and terminals must bill demurrage and detention clearly, and the FMC requires refunds within 30 days when a charge is proven unreasonable. Keep the gate-out timestamp, the pickup appointment record, and the entry release time, because the dispute turns on dates, not arguments.
Do demurrage and detention count in landed cost?
They should, but most landed cost models leave them out because they are unpredictable. A single container held 10 days past free time can add $1,500 to $3,000 to the shipment. Budget them as a risk line, and track actuals per entry so the next quote carries the real number.