Port Houston to move forward with container dwell fee in February

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A sustained dwell fee at Port Houston will go into effect on Feb. 1 following delays due to software issues.

Containers left to dwell at the Bayport and Barbours Cut Terminal will start accruing fees beginning on the eighth day after the expiration of free time. Shippers will be on the hook for $45 per container per day, port officials said in a release. 

“We’ve seen during the recent increase in demand that containers sitting on terminals for an extended period of time are a challenge,” Executive Director at Port Houston Roger Guenther said in a statement. “We are implementing this additional tool to help optimize space at our terminals and keep goods moving to the consumers in our region who need them.”

Port Houston announced two types of dwell fees last October, including one targeting excessive imports. The implementation of the sustained dwell fee, which is meant to address cargo fluidity, was postponed last month due to a software issue.

The port said it is now moving forward with the sustained dwell fee “after making the necessary software upgrades.”

Container volumes at the port continue to rise at Port Houston. November was the port’s fourth-largest month in terms of volume, with the facility handling 3.5 million containers. 

“The long term for container growth in Houston is extremely favorable. Retailers continue to invest in distribution centers in our region that are served through our Port,” Guenther said in a December 2022 statement.