What is Wharfage?
Wharfage is a charge assessed against the cargo or the vessel on cargo passing or conveyed over, onto or under wharves or between vessels, as defined in the US marine terminal regulations at 46 CFR 525.1. It is levied by a port authority or marine terminal operator for use of the wharf infrastructure and published in its schedule of rates, typically per tonne, per cubic metre, per unit or per container. Wharfage is separate from dockage, which is charged to the vessel for berthing, and from handling charges for moving cargo within the terminal. Depending on the port and the tariff, wharfage may be collected from the carrier and passed on within THC, or billed directly to the cargo interests. Rates often vary for imports, exports, transshipment cargo and different commodity classes.
Why it matters for forwarders
Because many tariffs treat wharfage as a charge on the cargo, forwarders need to know whether it is included in the carrier's freight or THC or will be invoiced separately, which is common for breakbulk and project cargo. In the US, a marine terminal operator schedule made available to the public can be enforceable against cargo interests as an implied contract, so being unaware of a charge is not a defence. Wharfage depends on the basis in the tariff, such as weight, measurement or unit, so accurate cargo weights and dimensions are needed to avoid rebilling. When quoting delivered prices to ports where wharfage is billed separately, list it as its own line so it is not missed. Check whether a reduced transshipment or through-cargo rate applies when cargo only passes through the port.