Seaport fee benchmark
Import container fees at the Port of Houston
What ocean containers discharged at the Port of Houston were charged beyond freight: 211 shipments from 20-49 importers, July 2024 to June 2026.
What importers pay most often at Houston
- Wharfage: 34.4% of shipments, against 9.0% across all ports.
- Chassis extra days: 20.7% of trucked shipments, against 37.5% across all ports.
- Storage: 14.7% of shipments, against 9.5% across all ports.
Houston against the other ports
Share of shipments that paid demurrage, per diem, storage or chassis extra days
Gray rule: all ports, 34.8%.
Every fee at Houston
| Fee | How often | All ports | Median bill | Middle half | 1 in 10 pay over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port, carrier and customs fees Share of all ocean container shipments. | |||||
| Demurrage | under 2.4% | 2.4% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Per diem (detention) | under 2.4% | 3.7% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Storage | 14.7% | 9.5% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Customs exam | under 2.4% | 0.5% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Port congestion surcharge | under 2.4% | 1.1% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Wharfage | 34.4% | 9.0% | $100 | $80–$100 | $110 |
| Trucking (drayage) fees Share of shipments whose final trucking the forwarder arranged. | |||||
| Chassis rental | 85.8% | 79.2% | $165 | $135–$165 | $300 |
| Chassis split | 3.6% | 29.0% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Chassis extra days | 20.7% | 37.5% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Pre-pull | see note | — | too few bills at this port | ||
| Driver waiting time | 14.5% | 5.6% | too few bills at this port | ||
| Overweight | 2.7% | 4.1% | too few bills at this port | ||
Questions
How often do import containers at Houston pay delay fees?
28.0% of ocean container shipments at the Port of Houston paid at least one delay fee (demurrage, per diem, storage or chassis extra days), against 34.8% across all ports in our data.
How common is demurrage at Houston?
Rare: under 2.4% of shipments at the Port of Houston were charged demurrage, against 2.4% across all ports.
How much extra does importing through Houston cost?
Across every shipment, including those that paid nothing extra, accessorial charges averaged $161 per shipment at the Port of Houston, against $174 across all ports.
Free quote
Importing through Houston?
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