Storage fee is calculated based on the type of goods, the loading method, and the duration of stay in the warehouse. In export transactions, products entering the port must be stored in designated open or closed areas until their customs clearance is completed. This area is called storage (ardiye), and a fee must be paid when the goods wait here. Let's examine these issues that exporters need to know in a bit more detail.
What is Storage (Ardiye)?
During the import and export process, the service of storing and keeping commercial goods in designated open or closed areas under the control and supervision of the port operator is called storage. These areas can be terminals or docks within the port. Due to the provision of this service, a storage fee must be paid. This fee varies depending on the commercial goods, their packaging method, and the port.
Storage fees are requested by the port operators providing the service. When your commercial products arrive at the port, the storage process begins with the discharge of the container to the port and ends on the day it leaves the port.
The time interval called free time is not reflected in the invoices issued by the port operator. Storage only covers the period between the discharge of containers to the port and their departure from the port. Therefore, only this process is included in the invoice.
What is a Storage Fee?
Storage fees are storage costs that arise when commercial goods arrive at the port and are discharged, and they are billed to the importing or exporting company. Various factors are involved in calculating this fee, depending on the type of goods and how they are loaded, such as bulk, box, or pallet.
The storage process begins with the discharge of containers after the vessel reaches the port limit and continues until the containers leave the port. Other services provided during this process are also included in this fee.
The port operators providing the service demand the storage fee from the importer or exporter company. When the products reach the port, no fee is requested for the free time period.
However, if the containers wait at the port longer than the free time, demurrage and detention invoices are issued to the buyers by the carriers. In Turkey, this invoice is reflected under a single name as a demurrage invoice.
How is the Storage Fee Determined?
Port storage fees are determined based on the weight of the products, their duration of stay, how they are transported, the type of products, and the services received during this process. Fees vary depending on whether a pallet truck, forklift, or crane is used while discharging the commercial products arriving at the port. Additionally, transferring goods from vehicle to vehicle in the port area is prohibited.
Storage is a process managed by port operators and is billed to companies by them. Pricing also varies according to the customs port. Generally, the elements considered when calculating the customs storage fee are the services received during the storage process.
Only the free time period is not reflected in the invoice. This period is the duration the products can wait before entering demurrage. It mostly lasts 3-7 days. However, companies can request additional free time if they wish.
How is the Storage Fee Calculated?
The storage fee is calculated by port operators based on certain factors and in proportion to the service received. While this fee is billed, free time is not included in the fee. For this service received during the discharge of commercial goods after the vessel reaches the port limit, a cost arises depending on the storage of the products and the port operator keeping an eye on these products.
The time spent in an area where the goods wait, whether open or closed, also plays a role in determining the fee. After the receipt proving that this fee has been paid to the port operator is issued, the containers are allowed to leave the port.
What is the Storage Period?
The storage period is the time elapsed from the arrival and discharge of commercial goods at the port limit until their departure from the port. Customs-cleared goods must be stored and kept under supervision in a designated area at the port by the port operator. The services received during this process are referred to as the storage fee. The type, loading, and storage period of the products affect the amount of this fee.
What is the Difference Between Storage and Demurrage?
Storage refers to the time period between the discharge of containers at the port limit and their departure from the port. In addition, demurrage occurs between the free time and storage. Free time also begins with the discharge of commercial goods from the vessel. If the goods wait in the port longer than the free time, demurrage and detention invoices are issued to the buyers by the carriers.
Globally, this practice is generally applied with a demurrage cost invoice for the period products wait at the port during the import process. If they wait longer than permitted outside the port, a detention cost is invoiced. In our country's ports, this practice is gathered under a single name and invoiced only as demurrage. In other words, containers must be discharged within the free time granted by the carriers. Otherwise, a demurrage invoice is issued in addition to the storage fee.
