Berthing agreements keep Durban port fluid

The delays at the port of Durban are “minimal”, according to a shipping line executive, and currently not a worry for container liner operators. Much of this, he told FTW, was due to the fact that scheduled liner operations were almost all signed up to service level agreements with port operators, Transnet, which were originally referred to as “berthing agreements”. They are costly, our shipping contact added, but have – along with port facility developments (like Pier 1 and extensions and equipment improvements at Durban container terminal) – worked to overcome the extensive delays that previously plagued the port, and incurred congestion surcharges from the lines. They don’t necessarily mean that a ship arrives, and is instantly granted a berth. According to the line executive, they don’t guarantee immediate entry to the port, but assure that the ship will be ready to depart by a specific agreed date. “If not, we can lay claims against the port. It’s not a cheap scheme, but it does what we want.” Most of the ships anchored outside the port for any length of time – and there can be a few – are not scheduled liner services tied into the service level agreements, he added.