# COSCO demurrage and detention in the US: tariff, free time and last free day calculator

COSCO Shipping Lines publishes its US import demurrage and detention tariff rules on its North America site. Free days and rates are not copied here; the calculator applies the published tariff to your dates.


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## Where the tariff is

COSCO Shipping Lines lists its US rules on its North America site under Detention and Demurrage Policy, [Detention and Demurrage Tariff Rules](https://lines.coscoshipping.com/na/en/dndp/dndtr/1/5). When we read it, two import rules were in force: [import demurrage, effective 2026-08-14](https://lines.coscoshipping.com/lines_resource/local/na/fileDownload/US%20IMPORT%20DEMURRAGE%20AT%20USA%20TARIFF%20RULE%20EFFECTIVE%20FROM%20AUGUST%2014,%202026.pdf) (port by port) and [import detention, effective 2026-07-15](https://lines.coscoshipping.com/lines_resource/local/na/fileDownload/US%20import%20Detention%20at%20USA%20tariff%20rule%20effective%20July%2015,%202026.pdf) (by region).

## How COSCO counts free time

- **Demurrage:** the rule says "All Free Time listed below are working days", and a working day is "any day a terminal or facility is open and accepting the pick-up or return of containers". The start time is printed port by port: at some ports free time starts at 12:01 A.M. after the container is discharged, at others at a later hour of the morning.
- **Detention:** "Detention counting shall start with the day of full container release to Consignee at Carrier's last CY facility".
- Our calculator counts working days as Monday to Friday. Where a terminal is open on a weekend, COSCO's last free day can come earlier than ours.

Some terminals print their own tables (for example Maher and APM/Port Liberty in New York, SSA in Oakland and Seattle, Port America Chesapeake in Baltimore). We hold one table per port, so at those terminals check the rule itself.

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## How to pay

COSCO's North America site links import demurrage payment, under E-Business, to its [Real Time Release portal](https://rtr.lines.coscoshipping.com/login) for terminals outside Los Angeles and Long Beach (an account is needed), and to eModal for Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals. It publishes no detention payment page.

## Before you pay

Compare the invoice with the tariff and with the contract. If the free time or the daily rate does not match, or the invoice leaves out what the FMC requires, see [what a US invoice must show and how to dispute it](../dispute/), and draft your reply with the [dispute letter tool](../../letter/). Other tools: [last free day, any carrier](../../last-free-day/).



## Sources

- [COSCO Shipping Lines North America: Detention and Demurrage Tariff Rules](https://lines.coscoshipping.com/na/en/dndp/dndtr/1/5)
- [COSCO US import demurrage tariff rule, effective 2026-08-14 (PDF)](https://lines.coscoshipping.com/lines_resource/local/na/fileDownload/US%20IMPORT%20DEMURRAGE%20AT%20USA%20TARIFF%20RULE%20EFFECTIVE%20FROM%20AUGUST%2014,%202026.pdf)
- [COSCO US import detention tariff rule, effective 2026-07-15 (PDF)](https://lines.coscoshipping.com/lines_resource/local/na/fileDownload/US%20import%20Detention%20at%20USA%20tariff%20rule%20effective%20July%2015,%202026.pdf)

Canonical: https://purserhouse.com/en/demurrage/cosco/us/