GUIDE — CONTAINER CHARGES
Detention vs demurrage, and why India charges both at once
One is the container inside the terminal. The other is the container outside it. Most explanations stop there, which is why Indian importers keep getting surprised by two invoices for the same week.
Running this by hand today? and we will show you the same thing on your own consignments.
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The short version
Same container, two different periods, two different people charging you.
- Demurrage runs from discharge until you collect the container. The box is still inside the terminal, occupying the custodian’s space.
- Detention runs from gate-out until you return the container empty. The box is out in the world and the line wants it back.
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Who charges what
| Charge | Levied by | Covers | Typical free period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrage | Port, terminal, CFS or ICD | Container sits inside the terminal after discharge, waiting to be picked up | Roughly 3–5 free days on import loaded containers |
| Detention | Shipping line | Container is outside the terminal after gate-out, not yet returned empty | Roughly 5–10 free days |
| Ground rent / storage | Custodian (port, CFS, ICD) | Cargo or container occupying the custodian's space beyond the free period | Varies by custodian and cargo type |
Ground rent is the one people forget. It is a storage charge from the custodian for occupying space, and it is separate from both of the above.
The part that costs Indian importers money
In the US and EU the two clocks are usually sequential: demurrage while the container is at the terminal, then detention once it leaves. In India they can run at the same time. During that overlap you are paying the custodian and the shipping line for the same container on the same day.
That is why a delay that looks like three days on a tracking screen can land as two invoices at roughly double the per-day rate you expected. Anyone reasoning from a US-written explainer will get the arithmetic wrong.
Where the avoidable charges actually come from
Very little of this is caused by the port. In practice the expensive gaps are on the desk:
- A customs query nobody noticed. The Bill of Entry goes to Query Raised and sits there. The clocks do not pause while it waits for an answer.
- Documents chased after the fact. A missing paper found at assessment costs days that were free to spend earlier.
- Nobody knows where the box actually is. Status scattered across portals means the clocks run while someone reconstructs the picture. See tracking a shipment from one bill of lading.
- The empty return treated as an afterthought. Detention stops on the recorded return date. If nobody owns that step, it happens whenever it happens.
Questions
What is the difference between detention and demurrage?
Demurrage and detention are inside-terminal versus outside-terminal time on the same container. Demurrage covers the period after discharge until you pick the container up, and is charged by the port, terminal, CFS or ICD. Detention covers the period after gate-out until you return the box empty, and is charged by the shipping line.
Can detention and demurrage be charged at the same time in India?
Yes, and this is the most expensive thing to understand about Indian imports. In the US and EU the clocks are usually sequential — demurrage at the terminal, then detention once the box leaves. In India both can run simultaneously, so during the overlap you pay two parties per day for the same container.
Who charges demurrage and who charges detention?
The custodian of the space charges demurrage and ground rent — the port, terminal, CFS or ICD. The shipping line charges detention, because it is their container and you still have it. Two different invoices, two different tariffs, two different people to argue with.
How many free days do I get?
It varies by terminal and by line. Indian terminals and CFSs commonly allow around three to five free days of storage on import loaded containers, and shipping lines commonly grant five to ten free days of detention. Check the specific tariff for the port and the line on every consignment, because the numbers move and are sometimes negotiated into the contract.
When does the detention clock stop?
When the empty container is returned and the return is recorded. Not when you unload it, not when the truck leaves your yard, and not when somebody says it has gone back. The date on the empty return is the one the line bills against.
What is the fastest way to reduce these charges?
Close the gap between a customs query being raised and somebody noticing it, and track the empty return as real work rather than an afterthought. Most avoidable charges come from those two gaps rather than from anything happening at the port.
Both clocks, on the consignment
Ahjam Cargo counts detention and demurrage against the consignment as they accrue, next to the customs status and the container movement, so the number is visible while there is still time to do something about it rather than at billing.