A storage fee (ardiye ücreti) is the charge paid to the operator for the time goods are kept at a port, temporary storage facility, CFS warehouse or bonded warehouse. It is usually calculated after the free period ends, per day and per tonne, cubic metre, square metre or container, often on a tiered tariff that rises the longer the goods wait. As a rule, the party taking delivery of the goods pays it.
Where does a storage fee arise?
A storage fee is in effect rent paid for every day the goods occupy an operator's space. The same cargo may wait first at the terminal and then in a warehouse, and a separate tariff applies at each stop. From a customs point of view, these places do not have the same status either; the entry on the difference between a temporary storage facility and a bonded warehouse explains this distinction.
| Place | Goods waiting | Common unit of charge |
|---|---|---|
| Container terminal | Full or empty containers | Per container (TEU) per day |
| Port general cargo yard | Project cargo, iron and steel, vehicles | Per tonne or m² per day |
| Temporary storage facility | Goods presented to customs whose procedure has not yet been assigned | Per tonne, m³ or package per day |
| CFS warehouse | LCL cargo | Per RT (revenue tonne: tonne/m³) per day |
| Bonded warehouse | Goods with duties suspended | Per pallet, m² or m³ per day or month |
How does it differ from demurrage?
The storage fee is paid for the terminal's or warehouse's space and goes to the operator. Demurrage, on the other hand, is the charge for keeping the shipping line's container beyond the free period. For a full container waiting at the port, both can run at the same time; one may already have started while the free period of the other has not yet expired. The free days granted by the shipping line are explained in the container free time entry.
How is it calculated?
Most tariffs consist of three elements: the free period, the tiers and the unit of charge. Take an example tariff: the first 5 days free, X per day from day 6 to day 10, and 2X per day from day 11 onwards. If a container waits 14 days, the calculation is:
- Days 1–5: free
- Days 6–10: 5 × X = 5X
- Days 11–14: 4 × 2X = 8X
- Total: 13X
The last four days cost more than the previous five. The tiered structure is designed to discourage cargo from staying in the port area for long periods. Handling, weighing, repositioning and moving goods for inspection are invoiced separately from the storage fee.
Who pays?
The operator claims the fee from the person taking delivery of the goods. Between buyer and seller, the sales contract and the delivery term determine who bears the cost: under delivery terms where the buyer handles import customs clearance at the destination port, the storage fee is usually for the buyer's account, and under DDP for the seller's. If the delay was caused by missing documents from one of the parties, this is a matter for recourse under the commercial contract.
Under the Turkish Code of Obligations (Türk Borçlar Kanunu), the warehouse keeper has a right of retention over the goods for storage fees and expenses such as customs (Art. 574). In practice, this means the goods are not released until the fee is paid.
How do customs time limits affect storage fees?
Article 46 of the Customs Law (Gümrük Kanunu) sets a time limit for goods covered by a summary declaration to be assigned a customs-approved treatment or use and for the formalities to be completed: 45 days for goods arriving by sea and 20 days for goods arriving by other means. Goods that miss this deadline become subject to the liquidation provisions. The customs time limit and the storage free period are independent of each other; even if the customs time limit has not expired, storage fees accrue every day.
How can storage fees be reduced?
- Complete the invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and permits before the vessel or vehicle arrives.
- Plan the duty payment and delivery order procedures in advance; weekends and public holidays are also included in the storage calendar.
- Get the free period and tiers stated in writing in the quotation.
- If clearance at the port is going to take long, consider moving the goods to an inland bonded warehouse under customs transit; Voltim Global's port and site deliveries and bonded warehouse operations cover this planning together.