Demurrage meaning: demurrage is the daily charge a shipping line makes when its container stays in the port longer than the free time it allows. It belongs to the line, because the container is the line’s equipment.
Demurrage, detention and storage are three different bills
- Demurrage: charged by the shipping line while its full container is still inside the port after free time.
- Detention: charged by the shipping line when you keep its container too long after it has left the port.
- Storage: charged by the terminal for the space the container takes in its yard after free storage.
A container collected late can attract demurrage and storage at the same time.
What demurrage costs in South Africa
| Where | Free days | 40-foot dry, per day after |
|---|---|---|
| Durban (Maersk) | 3 | R5 396 on day 4, then R8 773 |
| Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Ngqura (Maersk) | 4 | R541 |
| Durban Gateway Terminal storage (terminal, not line) | 5 | R5 396 on day 6, then R8 773 |
Sources: Maersk SA import demurrage and detention revision, effective 15 April 2026; Durban Gateway Terminal storage notice, 28 September 2026. Other lines publish their own tariffs; your contract may differ.
How to avoid demurrage
- Know the day the ship actually berths, not the day it was planned to.
- Know when your container’s block is released for collection.
- Book the truck before free time runs out, and watch for extensions the terminal adds for wind or system failures.
Dues does all three for every container you add, and warns you 24 hours before free time ends.