Three invoices, three clocks.
They are three different things paid to different parties. Demurrage is the container staying inside the terminal beyond free time. Detention is the container staying outside the terminal — with you — beyond free time. Both are paid to the carrier, and what separates them is the moment the container passes the gate. Storage is the goods sitting at the terminal or warehouse, and it is paid not to the carrier but to whoever operates the facility.
Work out the three clocks with your own tariff. This page gives no tariff; enter the daily amounts from your contract of carriage and the carrier's tariff. The result is indicative and assumes the first tier of a tiered tariff.
The difference in one table
UNCTAD's definition draws the line most economically: demurrage is the charge for use of the container within the terminal beyond the free time period; detention is the charge for its use outside the terminal or depot beyond free time.
| Charge | What it pays for | Where the container is | Paid to | Clock starts on | Clock stops on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrage | Use of the container | Inside the terminal | Carrier / line | Expiry of free time | The container leaving the terminal (gate-out) |
| Detention | Use of the container | Outside the terminal | Carrier / line | Gate-out plus expiry of free time | Return of the empty to the depot |
| Storage | Storage of the goods/container | Terminal or warehouse | Terminal / warehouse operator | Goods entering the facility | Goods leaving the facility |
Demurrage and storage can run on the same day. While the container waits at the terminal the carrier charges demurrage for use of the box and the terminal charges storage for occupying its yard. Two invoices, two parties, one day. That is the answer to "why am I paying twice" — it is not double billing but two different services.
When each clock starts and stops
On an import the whole distinction turns on one moment: the container passing the terminal gate. Until then demurrage runs; after it, detention.
The proof that the empty was returned is the EIR. The Equipment Interchange Receipt taken when you hand the box back to the depot documents the moment the detention clock stopped. If the depot was closed, no appointment was granted, or the container was refused as damaged, the clock keeps running — which makes the EIR date and the invoice end date the first two figures to compare.
A fourth clock: Turkish customs, 45 and 20 days
Independent of the carrier's and the terminal's clocks, and harder than either, another one runs. Under Article 46 of Turkish Customs Law No 4458, the formalities assigning goods covered by a summary declaration to a customs-approved treatment or use must be completed within:
- Goods arriving by sea
- 45 days from the date the summary declaration was lodged
- Goods arriving by any other route
- 20 days from the date the summary declaration was lodged
The same article allows the administration to set shorter periods or to permit extensions where circumstances require. Missing this deadline is no longer a demurrage question — it puts the goods into the liquidation process, a far heavier outcome than cost.
Before disputing an invoice, line up three dates: the day free time ended, the gate-out day and the EIR day. Demurrage can only cover the span between the first and the second, detention only between the second and the third. Any day charged outside those spans is open to challenge.
If the delay was not your fault, record it in writing that day. The terminal being unable to release the container, an appointment refused, the depot rejecting the return, or customs taking longer for reasons on the authority's side — FIATA's guidance lists cases where free time should be extended. Remembering later does not help; it has to be documented at the time.
Do not gate out until you are sure you can unload and return the box. If your warehouse is full or your unloading crew is not ready, the moment the container leaves the terminal you have started the detention clock, which can be the more expensive one.
How to verify your own tariff
There are no tariff figures on this page and there deliberately will not be. Free time days and daily rates vary by carrier, trade lane, port, container type and direction, and they are updated often. Publishing a figure we cannot verify would break the principle every page here rests on.
Verify your own figures in this order:
- Your contract of carriage or freight quotation. Free time is often stated there and can differ from the tariff — if you negotiated a period, that is what governs.
- The carrier's own published tariff. Lines publish demurrage and detention tariffs by country and port. Check the direction of your shipment and the container type.
- The terminal's tariff — for storage. This is separate from the carrier's and is published by the operating company.
- The invoice itself. The charge name, the number of days and the unit rate should each appear separately. If it arrives as a single total, ask for the breakdown.
When it goes wrong
The detention clock keeps running after the empty was returned
The container was handed back to the depot but never closed in the system, and the invoice runs days beyond. The only defence is the EIR: the date and time on the equipment receipt document the moment the clock stopped.
Do this: take the EIR at handover and keep it. Compare it against the invoice when it arrives.
The delay is the terminal's, the invoice is yours
The terminal cannot release the container, will not grant an appointment, or yard congestion delays the move. The clock runs regardless. FIATA's guidance treats extending free time where the terminal cannot release as good practice — but the request has to be supported by evidence.
Do this: record the appointment request, the refusal and its time in writing on the day.
Documents are late and the clock does not wait
The container cannot be collected because the original bill of lading has not arrived, the telex release has not landed or the delivery order is not issued — but demurrage does not wait for paperwork. A documentary problem converts directly into a cost line.
Do this: settle the document flow before free time starts. This is why the choice of release method is a cost decision.
The customs 45/20-day period is missed
While demurrage and storage invoices are tracked, the statutory period slips by. The consequence is not money but the goods entering the liquidation process.
Do this: note the summary declaration date the day the file is opened and count down from there — not from the arrival date of the container.
On exports the empty is picked up too early
On an export the clock runs the other way: detention starts when the empty leaves the depot and runs until the loaded box enters the terminal. If the loading plan slips, an empty collected early sits at the factory for days and generates invoices.
Frequently asked
How much is demurrage?
We do not give a figure here, because we do not publish tariffs we cannot verify. The charge varies by carrier, port, container type and direction, and most tariffs are tiered — one rate for the first days, a higher one for the next band, higher again after that.
Verify your own figure from your contract of carriage and the carrier's published tariff. If you would like us to calculate it for your shipment, get in touch and we will work it out with your own tariff.
When does demurrage start?
On the day free time ends. Free time itself is typically counted from the date the container was discharged to the terminal — but the exact trigger can differ between carrier tariffs (vessel arrival, completion of discharge, or the box being received into the yard).
So the answer to "which day" is in your contract. Have the carrier confirm in writing which event starts the clock.
Can demurrage and storage run at the same time?
Yes, and that is normal. While the container waits at the terminal the carrier accrues demurrage for the use of the box and the terminal accrues storage for the occupied yard space. Two different parties, two different services, two invoices.
What looks like double billing separates out once you check the charge names and who issued them. The same party charging twice for the same day is a different matter and should be challenged.
Can free time be extended?
It is negotiable. Shippers with regular volume can extend free time by contract; on a one-off shipment it can usually only be claimed where the delay was on the other side.
FIATA's guidance on container shipping treats extending free time where the terminal cannot release the container, and capping the total amount that can accrue, as good practice. These are industry recommendations rather than binding rules — your request has to be supported by evidence.
How do I dispute an invoice?
First verify the arithmetic: the day free time ended, the gate-out day and the EIR day. If the number of days billed does not follow from those three dates, ask for the breakdown.
Then document the cause: if the delay came from the terminal, the depot or the authority, attach that day's correspondence. Put the challenge in writing and address it to the right party — demurrage and detention belong to the carrier, storage to the facility operator.
This is not legal advice; if the dispute grows, consult a lawyer practising in transport law.
Sources
- UNCTAD — Demurrage and detention charges in container shipping Definitions of demurrage and detention (the inside/outside terminal distinction) and the effect of these charges on transport cost · unctad.org · accessed 1 Sep 2026
- FIATA — Best practices on container shipping and the quality of containers Good-practice recommendations including extending free time and capping accrual (2 April 2019; demurrage/detention guide 3 October 2018) · fiata.org · accessed 1 Sep 2026
- Turkish Customs Law No 4458, Article 46 45 days for goods arriving by sea, 20 days for goods arriving by any other route · mevzuat.gov.tr · text also published in the Turkish Exporters Assembly edition (PDF) · accessed 1 Sep 2026
- Türkiye Ministry of Trade — Customs procedures Current administrative rules on summary declarations, bonded warehousing and liquidation · ticaret.gov.tr · accessed 1 Sep 2026
This page is for information only and is not customs or legal advice. Free time, tariffs and the event that starts each clock depend on your contract of carriage and the carrier's published tariff; no tariff figure appears on this page. Customs periods can change through administrative measures — confirm with the Türkiye Ministry of Trade's current rules and with your customs broker before you act.
Change log
- Page published. Demurrage and detention definitions taken from UNCTAD's own text; the 45/20-day periods verified against Article 46 of Turkish Customs Law No 4458.