Antwerp-Bruges: port delays, free time and demurrage
Antwerp-Bruges is Europe’s second-largest gateway and the busiest for hinterland barge traffic, which is exactly where its demurrage exposure comes from: quay dwell created by a congested onward leg rather than by the cargo owner.
Measured avg wait
201.1 h
Reporting period 2026-08
P90 wait
558.4 h
Worst-decile vessel in the period
Vessels waiting
4,499
of 5,124 observed
Est. daily burn
$17,816,040
Chargeable exposure created per day
Typical free time at Antwerp-Bruges
| Demurrage free time (import, at terminal) | 5–7 calendar days (varies sharply by carrier contract) |
| Detention free time (equipment, off terminal) | 5–7 days, shorter on reefer and special equipment |
| How days are counted | Calendar days on most European mainline tariffs, including weekends. |
| Congestion surcharge stacked per container | $140 during backlog periods |
Indicative ranges from published carrier tariffs and contracts we see at this gateway. Your own service contract governs — check it before counting days. How demurrage and detention are calculated.
What makes charges disputable here
- Barge and rail hinterland connections slip regularly; the resulting quay dwell is billed as demurrage even where the carrier controlled the onward leg.
- Reefer plug fees are charged per day on top of demurrage and are frequently billed on boxes already plugged into terminal power under the terminal contract.
- Antwerp and Zeebrugge terminals apply different tariffs under a single carrier booking — misapplied rates are common.
- Barge waiting times of 60+ hours are billed onward as detention on shipper accounts.
Billed demurrage or detention at Antwerp-Bruges?
We check every line against your contract, the local tariff and our own dwell record for that voyage, then file the claim. The audit is free and our fee is 20% of what we actually recover.