Wharfage

Wharfage is a fee charged by a port or terminal for the use of its wharf (the structure where vessels dock and cargo is loaded or unloaded). Think of it as rent for using the port’s dock space. Every container, breakbulk shipment, or bulk cargo that crosses the wharf generates a wharfage charge, and the fee is assessed against the cargo, not the vessel. Ship owners pay separate dockage fees for tying up at the berth. Wharfage is the cargo owner’s cost.

How Wharfage Is Calculated

Wharfage rates vary by port and by cargo type. At the Port of Long Beach, wharfage on a loaded 40-foot container runs approximately $35 to $60 per container. At the Port of New York/New Jersey, similar charges apply but may be structured differently in the port’s tariff schedule. Some ports assess wharfage on a per-ton basis rather than per container, which means heavier shipments pay more.

For bulk cargo (grain, coal, petroleum products), wharfage is typically assessed per metric ton. Rates range from $0.50 to $3.00 per ton depending on the commodity and the port’s published tariff. For breakbulk cargo (steel coils, machinery, project cargo), wharfage may be calculated per ton, per cubic meter, or per piece, depending on the terminal’s rate structure.

The port authority publishes its wharfage tariff, which is a public document listing every rate for every cargo type and container size. These tariffs are filed with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and are available on the port authority’s website. Importers and exporters can review the applicable wharfage rates before shipping to include them in landed cost calculations.

Who Pays Wharfage

In practice, the marine terminal operator collects wharfage and remits it to the port authority. The charge appears on the terminal’s invoice to the trucking company, freight forwarder, or shipping line, depending on the arrangement. For containerized imports, wharfage is often bundled into the terminal handling charges that the ocean carrier or NVOCC passes through to the importer as part of the destination fees.

Many importers never see wharfage as a separate line item. It gets absorbed into the broader “destination charges” or “local charges” that appear on the freight forwarder’s invoice. But the cost is there, embedded in the overall port charges. Importers who negotiate freight contracts or audit their logistics invoices should understand which specific fees make up those bundled charges.

Wharfage vs. Other Port Fees

Port operations generate a stack of fees, and keeping them straight matters for accurate cost planning.

Dockage is charged to the vessel for occupying a berth. It is based on the ship’s gross tonnage and the duration of the berth occupancy. This is the ship owner’s cost, not the cargo owner’s.

Terminal Handling Charges (THC) cover the cost of moving containers within the terminal: lifting them off the vessel, transporting them to the container yard, and staging them for pickup. THC is typically $200 to $400 per container at U.S. ports.

Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) is a federal charge of 0.125% of cargo value, paid to CBP, not to the port authority. It funds the Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging and navigation maintenance programs.

Wharfage sits between these charges as a port authority revenue stream specifically tied to the cargo’s use of wharf infrastructure. It is not a federal fee. It is a local charge set by the port authority and approved by its governing board.

Wharfage and Cost Planning

For an FBA seller importing 10 containers per month through Long Beach, wharfage adds roughly $350 to $600 monthly to the total logistics cost. It is a minor line item compared to ocean freight, customs duties, and drayage. But on thin-margin products, every dollar counts. Sellers who track their true landed cost per unit should include wharfage in the port charges category alongside THC, chassis fees, and any clean truck or PierPass fees applicable at their port of entry.

Ports occasionally adjust wharfage rates, typically through a public comment and approval process involving the port authority’s board of commissioners. Rate increases are usually announced months in advance, giving importers and their freight forwarders time to update cost models. Signing annual freight contracts that reference specific tariff rates can lock in wharfage costs for the contract period, depending on how the agreement is structured.