DP World Australia increase infrastructure charges (NNF 2017/271)

DP World Australia (DPWA) yesterday informed their customers that they will be increasing the "infrastructure charges" for import and export containers in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane our biggest container ports and will be extending standard payment terms for transport operators from the current 14 day terms to 28 day terms, to assist with this transition. 

From January 1, 2018, the new per container levies for transport operators (excluding GST) will be:

Melbourne $49.20
Sydney $37.65
Brisbane $38.75

This compares with the old levies (excluding GST) announced earlier in the year of:

Brisbane – $32.74
Sydney – $21.16
Melbourne -$32.50

The CBFCA and other industry associations have advised the ACCC that such charges should be paid by DPWA customers being the "shipping lines" not transport operators and freight forwarders on behalf of importers / exporters, due to the lack of commercial  relationship and inability to enter into commercial negotiations.

Recently ACCC issued the 2016-2017 Annual Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report which noted that the 'new infrastructure charges' raise issues for the port supply chain and will be interesting to see if ACCC will start to monitor such increases in infrastructure charges.

Zoran Kostadinoski
Regional Manager VIC / TAS / SA