The plan was driven by liner carriers seeking ways to alleviate financial pressure in a year in which nearly every major carrier will see major losses.
On Friday, the port authority gave American Shipper greater detail about the plan.
'The BPA is aware of the difficult financial circumstances facing many of the major shipping lines that call at Busan Port,' the port told American Shipper. 'Carriers often request Busan Port to help in reducing their operation costs. Globally, several shipping lines have been looking for financial aid and experiencing problems with cash flow. BPA is sensitive to the shipping lines’ needs and, therefore, has made this plan to help alleviate the liners’ cash flow problems.'
The port authority also broke down what port usage fees vessel operators may be able to defer. The port plan involves the suspension of port entry, berthing and anchorage fees.
' The BPA said it charges a 104 won (9 cents) per ton fee for port entry.
' For berthing, it charges 340 won (29 cents) for 12 hours per 10 tons of any ship larger than 150 tons. After the first 12 hours, the port charges 28.4 won (2 cents) per 10 tons per hour.
' For anchorage, the port charges 178 won (15 cents) for 12 hours per 10 tons of any ship larger than 150 tons. After the first 12 hours, the port charges 14.9 won (1 cent) per 10 tons per hour.
Under the scheme, savings for the average vessel calling at Busan (13,360 tons) would be about $1,190 for port entry fees, $390 for 12 hours of berthing and $204 for 12 hours of anchorage.
