What is a good container dwell time?

There is no single standard. In the World Bank's 2022 data, mean import port dwell ranged from 2.1 days in Saudi Arabia and 2.6 in India to 7.2 in the US and 10.2 in Germany.

What is the difference between dwell time and demurrage?

Dwell time is how long the box stays in the terminal; demurrage is the charge for the part of that stay beyond free time. At Los Angeles, foreign containerized imports get 4 free days, excluding weekends and holidays.

How is container dwell time measured?

In JNPA's definition, from the container's entry into the terminal until it moves out. UNCTAD's cargo dwell runs until the cargo is cleared and dispatched, so the same port can show different numbers.

Term

Container dwell time

Container dwell time is how long a container stays in the port terminal — from entry until it leaves for delivery or loading. The World Bank measured mean import port dwell of 7.2 days in the US, 10.2 in Germany, 4.4 in the UAE and 2.6 in India in mid-2022; every day past free time costs demurrage.

Also called port dwell time, cargo dwell time, import dwell time, terminal dwell timeUpdated 14 October 2026

Three ways to measure it

Port dwell: from the container's entry into the terminal until it moves out — the definition India's JNPA uses.
Consolidated dwell, in the World Bank's 2023 Logistics Performance Index: port dwell plus time at inland clearance facilities.
Cargo dwell, in UNCTAD's terms: from when cargo arrives until it is cleared and dispatched.

How countries compare

Economy	Mean port dwell, days	Median
Germany	10.2	7.6
United States	7.2	5.1
Netherlands	7.2	5.2
United Kingdom	7.2	5.0
UAE	4.4	3.0
India	2.6	1.5
Saudi Arabia	2.1	0.7

Imports, May–October 2022, from the LPI 2023's Table A2.4. More recent single-port figures exist: JNPA reported an import port dwell of 59.5 hours for June 2026, and 78.6 hours for exports.

Worked example: dwell turned into demurrage at Los Angeles

Foreign import, 9–13 m container · 4 free days, weekends and holidays excluded · collected on working day 10 → 6 days of demurrage · 5 × $52.77 + 1 × $105.47 = $369.32

From Section 7 of the Port of Los Angeles tariff and its demurrage rate chart effective 1 December 2025. Weekends count in free time if the terminal announces its gates open on them; the tariff puts charges on the owners of the merchandise.

The mistake people make

Comparing numbers measured differently. The World Bank's consolidated dwell for India was 5.3 days against a port dwell of 2.6; India's government cited 3 days against 7 for the USA and 10 for Germany. Ask what starts and stops the clock — entry, gate-out, customs release — before comparing ports or setting a target.

FAQ