This is the most common extra cost of importing into Mexico — and almost always the most avoidable one. An importer budgets the operation down to the peso, then ends up paying tens of thousands of pesos in charges that were never on the quote — because they’re charges for time, and the time got away.
Three different charges everyone mixes up
| Charge | Who bills it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Demurrage (demoras) | The ocean carrier | Your loaded container is still inside the terminal after the free days run out |
| Detention (estadías) | The ocean carrier | You pulled the container out, but didn’t return it empty on time |
| Storage | The terminal or the bonded facility | You’re taking up space in their yard or warehouse |
The distinction matters because the clocks start at different moments and different parties send the bill. You can be paying demurrage and storage at the same time on the same cargo.
When does the clock start?
Usually at vessel discharge, with a period of free days (free time) negotiated in your freight contract — typically 3 to 14 days depending on carrier, lane and volume. Once the free days are up, the daily charge kicks in — and it usually tiers: it climbs as the days pile up.
That’s why it hurts so much: the charge isn’t linear. The first few days are tolerable; from the second week the daily rate can multiply. An operation stuck for 20 days doesn’t cost twice one stuck for 10 — it costs far more.
Why cargo actually gets stuck (the real causes)
- The document file wasn’t ready when the vessel arrived.
- A permit, NOM certificate or labeling requirement surfaced too late.
- The original BL never made it through the courier.
- The importers registry (padrón) was suspended, or the broker’s power of attorney (encargo conferido) wasn’t accepted.
- A customs exam turned up a discrepancy.
- Nobody lined up the trucking to pull the box on time.
- The container was unloaded at the warehouse and returned late (pure detention).
The six ways to never pay them
- Negotiate free days when you quote the freight, not once there’s a problem. It’s a negotiable variable and almost nobody negotiates it.
- Send documents to your customs broker when the vessel sails, not when it arrives: classification and filing get done in advance.
- Close out the regulatory items before loading (NOMs, permits, registries).
- Insist on telex release unless there’s a financial reason for an original BL.
- Book the trucking ahead of time, not the day the cargo releases.
- Return the empty the same day you unload. Detention accrues silently and shows up on an invoice three weeks later.
If the charges already hit
They’re negotiable. Carriers and terminals have waiver and discount processes, especially when the cause was outside the importer’s control (port congestion, a carrier documentation error) or when you’re a repeat customer. But it isn’t granted on its own: you have to ask, with backup, and fast.
At FreightSpot, watching the clock is part of the service: we flag it before the free days run out, not after. Get a quote from us and compare what each proposal actually includes.