Container stevedoring charge increases 6.9% at Busan North Port

The Busan Regional Oceans & Fisheries Administration has announced that the Stevedoring Charges Approval System has been applied for stabilizing the cargo handling market from July 1st.

The increased rate of 6.9%, compared to 2014, first applies to 4 terminals in Busan North Port such as Busan Int'1 Terminal (Gamman Pier), CJ Korea Express Busan Container Terminal (Sinseondae Pier), Dongbu Pusan Container Terminal (Shingamman Pier), and Hutchison Korea Terminal (Jasungdae Pier).

For Busan New Port, the increased tariff applies to 2 terminals, Hanjin New Port Company Terminal and Hyundai Pusan New-Port Terminal. In the case of Pusan New Port, terminal operation companies are permitted to voluntarily report to the regional office, in which the new institution is not much different from the existing reporting system. 

Private invested ports are excluded from the list of increased tariffs. According to the Harbor Transport Business Act, ports with private investment run with a separate administration. PNC (Pusan Newport Company), PNIT (Pusan Newport International Terminal) and BNCT (Busan New Container Terminal) were built with purely private capital.   

Busan Regional Oceans & Fisheries Administration plans to conduct actual research on whether the port operators follow the authorized tariffs in next April. The administration is attempting to increase the port industry's competitiveness and stability. From this July to December, the administration will also investigate actual container handling performance. If a terminal operator is found to be charging unreasonable fees, the company will be fined with a penalty surcharge for the 1st and 2nd exposure, and issued with a business suspension for the 3rd offence.

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