By Luis Lopez, AI transportation consultant, CEO of Go Hub.io Holdings Corp and subsidiaries, and host of the Freight Guru Podcast
The first ocean freight invoice a new importer receives is usually longer than expected. The quoted rate covered moving a box across the ocean, but the bill lists a dozen line items with acronyms that nobody explained. None of those charges are unusual. Once you know what each one pays for, you can budget for them and compare quotes fairly.
As an AI transportation consultant, the first thing I look at when reviewing an importer’s landed cost is whether they understand which charges are fixed by the market and which are driven by their own decisions. Here are the ten charges every new importer should recognize, plus the seasonal surcharges that sit on top of them.
1. Base Ocean Freight
This is the core rate for moving the container from the port of loading to the port of discharge. It is quoted per container (or per cubic meter for less-than-container loads) and depends on the trade lane, container size, carrier, and whether you are on a contract rate or buying spot. When comparing quotes, confirm whether the base rate is “all-in” or whether surcharges are listed separately. Two quotes that look far apart can end up close once every line is added.
2. Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF)
The bunker adjustment factor covers the carrier’s fuel cost. Because marine fuel prices move, carriers adjust BAF on a set schedule rather than rewriting every base rate. Some lanes also carry separate low-sulfur or emissions-related fuel surcharges. You cannot negotiate fuel prices, but you can ask how often the BAF is reset and which date’s BAF applies to your shipment.
3. Terminal Handling Charges (THC)
Terminal handling charges pay for moving the container within the port: lifting it on or off the vessel, stacking it in the yard, and moving it to the gate. You may see an origin THC and a destination THC. Depending on your Incoterms, one of these is yours and the other belongs to the seller. Many surprises on a first invoice come from Incoterms the buyer did not fully read, so match each THC against the terms in your purchase order.
4. Documentation and Bill of Lading Fees
Carriers and forwarders charge for issuing the bill of lading and processing shipping documents. Related charges include amendment fees when details change after issuance and fees for telex release or other release methods. Getting shipper, consignee, and notify party details right the first time is the easiest way to avoid them.
5. Destination Delivery Charge (DDC)
On many import lanes into the United States, carriers apply a destination delivery charge that covers handling at the discharge port. It overlaps conceptually with destination THC, and on some quotes it replaces it. Ask your forwarder to show whether DDC is included in the ocean rate or billed separately so you do not compare an all-in quote against a quote that excludes it.
6. Chassis Charges
A container cannot roll on the highway by itself. It sits on a chassis, and someone pays to use that chassis by the day. In many US ports, the trucker sources chassis from a pool and passes the daily usage charge through to the customer, sometimes with split charges if the chassis must be picked up at a different location than the container. Our guide on chassis fees, splits, and pools breaks down how these get billed.
7. Demurrage
Demurrage is charged when a full container stays inside the terminal beyond the free time allowed by the carrier or terminal. The clock usually starts when the container is discharged and available. Customs holds, missing documents, unpaid freight, and lack of trucking capacity all eat into free time. Demurrage is one of the most controllable charges on the list, because it depends heavily on how quickly the import is cleared and picked up.
8. Detention (Per Diem)
Detention, often called per diem, is charged when the carrier’s container is outside the terminal longer than allowed, from the time it leaves full until the empty is returned. Slow unloading at the warehouse, missed return appointments, and terminals that will not accept empties all extend it. The article on demurrage vs. detention covers how to keep both under control.
9. Customs Brokerage and Entry Fees
A licensed customs broker files your entry, classifies your goods, and calculates duties. You pay the broker a fee for the entry and often for additional services such as extra tariff lines or partner government agency filings. Separate from the broker’s fee, the government collects duties and processing fees, such as the merchandise processing fee and, for shipments through many US seaports, the harbor maintenance fee. Make sure your budget separates the broker’s service fee from the government’s charges, because only one of them is negotiable.
10. Importer Security Filing (ISF)
For ocean shipments into the United States, the importer is responsible for an Importer Security Filing, commonly called “10+2,” which must be submitted no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded on the vessel at the foreign port. Most importers have their broker or forwarder file it for a fee. Late or inaccurate filings can lead to penalties and holds, so the filing fee is cheap insurance. Make sure your supplier sends the required data early enough to file on time.
Plus: Peak Season Surcharges and GRIs
On top of the regular charges, carriers announce general rate increases (GRIs) and peak season surcharges (PSS) when demand rises or capacity tightens. These are typically announced in advance and apply from a set date, so the rate you were quoted may not be the rate you pay if your cargo loads after the effective date. When you book, ask whether any announced GRI or PSS applies to your expected sailing.
How to Use This List
Knowing the names of these charges is only half the work. The other half is building a habit around them:
- Ask for itemized quotes. Compare like for like, not a single bottom-line number.
- Match charges to your Incoterms. Confirm which origin and destination charges belong to you.
- Track free time. Demurrage and detention are where most avoidable money goes.
- Keep paperwork clean. Documentation errors trigger amendment fees and customs delays.
- Audit the final invoice. Check each line against the quote and question anything unexplained.
The trucking side of an import has its own list of line items, and the guide on how to audit a drayage invoice walks through them charge by charge.
Where AI Fits
Invoice auditing is one of the most practical uses of AI in import logistics. Document extraction tools can read carrier, forwarder, and broker invoices, map each line to a standard charge code, and compare it against the quote and the shipment’s milestones. That makes it much easier to catch a demurrage charge for days when the container was actually on a customs hold, or a BAF applied from the wrong period. The tools still need clean reference data, such as your contracted rates and free time terms, and a person should review flagged discrepancies before disputing them.
For a new importer, the goal is simple: no line on the invoice should be a mystery. Once every charge has a name and a cause, you can plan for the unavoidable ones and work steadily to shrink the rest.
For more conversations on freight and AI, subscribe to the Freight Guru Podcast.
About the author: Luis Lopez is a Miami-based AI transportation consultant and logistics entrepreneur, the CEO of Go Hub.io Holdings Corp and subsidiaries, and host of the Freight Guru Podcast.
