WTSA TO ADOPT DOCUMENTATION FEE

WTSA TO ADOPT DOCUMENTATION FEE    Shipping lines of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said Monday they will introduce a $25 documentation fee per bill of lading, effective Sept. 1 and applicable to all tariff and service contract cargo.
   The WTSA, a discussion agreement for 13 container shipping lines, said the fee was due to higher costs for preparing and transmitting shipping documents in the U.S./Asia trade lane.
   “The fee is intended to address the increased costs of processing more complex documentation required in both the U.S. and Asian countries; training and retaining skilled documentation staffs; and upgrading electronic systems for the future to provide services such as electronic bills of lading, online filing of documentation with arrange of domestic and foreign government agencies,” the WTSA said.
   The agreement also anticipates increased preparation and transmittal activity due to the recent U.S. legislation making electronic signatures legally acceptable in commercial documents.
      The WTSA said the westbound transpacific is one of the few trade lanes where some form of documentation fee has not already been implemented.