Paying foreign shipping lines
freight, port dues and terminal charges
Paying a foreign shipping line and port charges is about timing as much as the amount: until the invoice is paid the agent will not release the bill of lading, and the container is burning free time in port. We pay freight, THC, origin and transshipment port charges, demurrage/detention and foreign agents' fees against their invoices.
Payment is made under an agency agreement and Federal Law 173-FZ, in the invoice currency. Before paying we check charges against the booked rate and the Incoterms rule; afterwards you get an agent's report and a single shipment invoice. Service and conversion costs are quoted per payment.
Specification
Specification · Freight, port dues and terminal payments. Standard terms · amount, currency and fee are confirmed per payment
Service
- Payments
- freight, THC, port and terminal charges, demurrage/detention
- Payees
- lines, their agents, overseas terminals
- Options
- transshipment port charges, storage, B/L amendments
Terms
- Timing
- payment 1–2 days after instruction; crediting depends on banks
- Documents
- line invoice, B/L, agent's report
- Currency
- invoice currency: USD, CNY, etc.
Process
- Before payment
- check against booking and Incoterms
- Payment
- under the agency agreement, quoting invoice and B/L
- After
- release, agent's report, single invoice
Price
- Base
- agency fee — quoted per payment
- Extras
- conversion — at the bank's rate on the payment date
Service flow
- 01
Invoice intake
We receive the invoice from you or directly from the line/agent and check it against the booked rate, the B/L number and the delivery term: who pays freight and local charges under the contract.
0.5–1 day - 02
Charge check
We check the charges: freight and surcharges (BAF etc.), THC, documentation fee, demurrage and detention against actual dates and free-time terms. Disputed items are challenged with the agent before payment.
1 day - 03
Payment
We agree the amount, currency and cost calculation with you, take your instruction under the agency agreement and send the payment to the line or agent with a reference to the invoice and B/L.
1–2 days - 04
Crediting and release
We send the line proof of payment and track crediting and release: telex release or original B/Ls, container release order. If crediting drags on, we warn you in advance so pickup can be planned.
depends on banks - 05
Closing documents
We deliver the agent's report with copies of invoices and payment records, plus a single shipment invoice broken down by item — freight, dues, terminal.
1–3 days
Problems
The line won't issue a telex release until it sees payment, while the container is already in port and free time is running out.
We pay as soon as the invoice is issued, send the agent proof of payment and track crediting; any delay is flagged in advance.
Extra charges: THC already included in the rate is billed again; demurrage is calculated ignoring free time.
We check every item against the booking and actual dates and dispute questionable charges before paying, not after.
The bank holds or returns the payment: the payment reference doesn't match the invoice, or the payee isn't the company that issued it.
Before paying we verify bank details and that the payee matches the invoice; if the line asks to pay a different entity, we request written confirmation from the line.
Documents
The documents a payment to a line or agent is based on. The Incoterms rule in your contract decides which charges are yours and which are the supplier's — we check this before paying.
Incoterms
- FOB
- freight and destination charges are on the buyer
- CFR / CIF
- the seller pays freight; destination charges usually fall on the buyer
- EXW / FCA
- the buyer pays freight and origin-country costs
Documents
- Line / agent invoice
- freight invoice or debit note quoting the B/L number and itemised charges
- B/L / booking
- bill of lading or booking confirmation — ties the payment to a specific shipment
- Agency agreement
- the basis for payment plus an instruction for the specific invoice
- Payment records
- payment order / SWIFT confirmation for the line
- Agent's report
- with invoices and payment records attached — for accounting and customs value
FAQ
Under FOB the buyer — you — pays the freight. We pay the line's or its agent's invoice on your instruction under an agency agreement and then hand over an agent's report with the invoice and payment records. The amount and our fee are agreed before payment.
In the currency of the line's or agent's invoice — most often USD or CNY, less often EUR or AED. Conversion goes through the bank at the rate on the payment date; the total and our fee are calculated per payment and agreed with you in advance.
Crediting time depends on the currency and correspondent banks: usually a few business days, sometimes longer, and no one in the chain can guarantee it. That is why we pay as soon as the invoice is issued and send the line proof of payment so the release is not held up.
The line will not release the cargo — no telex release or original B/Ls — and the container stays in port. Once free time expires, demurrage and storage start, and detention applies to a container picked up but not returned. Paying on time is almost always cheaper than idle time.
The Incoterms rule in the contract decides. Under EXW the buyer bears origin-country charges; under FOB the seller pays until the goods are on board; under CFR and CIF the seller pays freight, while destination port charges usually stay with the buyer. If an agent bills you for something the supplier should bear, it shows up in our pre-payment check.
An agent's report with copies of the line's invoices and payment records, plus a single shipment invoice broken down by item. Your accountants and customs need this set: transport costs up to the point of entry into the EAEU customs territory are included in customs value (Art. 40 of the EAEU Customs Code).