IMPORT DETENTION · BY LINE
Container Detention Charges Australia 2026: Rates by Shipping Line
What each shipping line charges once an import container runs past its free time, and how many days you get first. Every figure is read from the carrier's own published schedule and linked to the source capture. Pick a line for its full tier ladder, free-time rules and change history.
| Shipping line | Free time | Tier 1 (20GP) | Tier 2 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANL / CMA CGM → | 7 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| COSCO Shipping → | 10 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| Hapag-Lloyd → | 8 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| HMM → | 8 working | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| Maersk → | 8 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| Ocean Network Express → | 8 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| OOCL → | 9 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| Swire Shipping → | 14 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| Yang Ming → | 7 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
| ZIM → | 7 calendar | — | — | MACHINE-READ |
Tier 1 shown for a 20GP import container after free time. Reefer, high-cube and later tiers are on each line's page. Negotiated terms override published defaults.
01What is container detention?
Detention is what a shipping line charges once you hold its container past the free time — the days allowed to unpack an import box and return it empty. It accrues per day, usually on an escalating tier scale, and is separate from demurrage (terminal storage).
02How much is import detention in Australia?
It varies by line and container type. First-tier rates on a 20GP import container typically run from about $150 to $200 per day after free time, then step up on later tiers. The table above shows each carrier’s current published figure.
03How many free days do shipping lines give?
Most lines allow 7 to 10 calendar days of free time on import containers before detention begins, though the day basis and when the clock starts differ by carrier. Each line’s exact rule is on its page.
04Are these detention rates current?
Yes. Every carrier schedule is read daily and each figure links to a dated capture of the source document. Where a value is still awaiting human verification it is labelled machine-read, not hidden.
DETENTION, WATCHED DAILY
Hear it the day a line moves its detention rate, not when the invoice lands.
Save your carriers and lanes, and we email you the day a detention rate or free-time rule changes — usually weeks before it applies.