NY-NJ Port Tariff Update: What ASEAN Shippers Should Know

The Port of New York and New Jersey has been dealing with a persistent backlog of empty shipping containers. If your goods enter the United States through NY-NJ, this congestion may already be affecting your shipments. The effects typically show up as delayed container returns or detention charges at the terminal, among others.

In response, the port authority has revised the rules that govern how ocean carriers are expected to manage them. This article explains what the port has changed, which carriers are involved, and where the costs are likely to appear in your supply chain.

What Changed at the Port of New York and New Jersey

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has revised its marine tariff, effective 1 May 2026. The central change concerns its Container Imbalance Fee. First introduced in 2023, the charge was meant to push sea freight carriers to speed up the clearing of excess empty containers from terminals.

The revised tariff extends that fee to off-dock depots outside the port boundary. Previously, carriers could move surplus empties to a nearby off-site yard without those containers counting toward the fee. That is no longer permitted. Empty containers at off-dock facilities now fall within its scope.

The tariff also shortens the window the port uses to assess whether a carrier is holding excess empties. That period has been cut from one year to six months. This allows the port to act sooner when stock begins to accumulate. Ocean carriers are now explicitly required to proactively and regularly manage their empty container inventories.

Why the Backlog Has Persisted

The current surplus of empty containers at NY-NJ traces back to the pandemic period. Severe disruptions during that time left large numbers of boxes stranded at US ports. The Container Imbalance Fee has been in place since 2023, yet congestion has continued whenever carriers allow empties to accumulate faster than they are removed.

Meanwhile, a recurring pattern has emerged at the depot level. Carriers redirect truckers to off-dock facilities when appointments for empty returns fill up. However, truckers have no approved location to deliver when those facilities reach capacity.

On 10 April 2026, approximately 500 trucks were turned away from Port Newark Depot in a single afternoon. The yard had filled to capacity by late afternoon that day. On other occasions, drivers have reported waiting four to five hours before gaining entry. Trucking operators work under federal service-hour regulations. Wait times of that length carry significant compliance consequences.

Conflicting return instructions from carriers and marine terminals have added to the problem. When a trucker arrives at a location that cannot accept the container, the resulting dry run adds cost that flows back through the supply chain.

Which Carriers Are Involved

The congestion at off-dock depots is tied to how certain carriers are routing their empty returns.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd began operating under the Gemini Cooperation alliance in early 2025. APM Terminals, which manages container flows for both carriers, contracted Port Newark Depot as an off-dock facility for empty returns. Truckers are redirected there when marine terminal appointments are unavailable. Zim Integrated Shipping Services has directed truckers to World Wide Depot, a recently opened 35-acre site on the same plot of land as Port Newark Depot.

Shippers whose US-bound cargo moves under a Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, or Zim bill of lading are operating within this system on the US delivery side. Depot-level delays slow the rate at which containers cycle back into availability. That directly affects whether detention charges are generated.

Where the Costs Appear for ASEAN Exporters

For ASEAN exporters shipping FCL or LCL cargo into the US East Coast, the effects tend to surface in two areas.

The first is container availability at origin. When empties are slow to clear the US port system, carriers have fewer boxes to reposition for the next cycle of export loading. During periods of elevated congestion, this can contribute to equipment shortages or booking delays on the ASEAN side.

The second is detention and demurrage charges at destination. For instance, when shipping from Thailand to USA, if a container arrives at Port Newark on June 9 with a 2-day grace period, the consignee must return the empty container by June 11. If the consignee delays the return until June 14, they will be liable for detention charges for the extra 3 days (June 12 to June 14). This is where the new May 2026 rule is most relevant. Because carriers are being fined $100 for “imbalanced” containers, they are under pressure to get empties back and onto ships. This often leads to stricter detention enforcement.

Further Reading: What Is Detention?

Conclusion

The NY-NJ port authority has expanded its Container Imbalance Fee to cover off-dock depots. It has also shortened the assessment window and placed responsibility for managing empty container inventories directly on ocean carriers. For ASEAN exporters shipping into the US East Coast, the practical consequences range from equipment shortages at origin to detention charges at destination.

Port congestion of this nature rarely resolves quickly. The costs it generates are also not always straightforward to dispute. Working with a freight forwarder who tracks conditions at major US gateways reduces the exposure your shipments have to these delays. If you are shipping FCL or LCL cargo from ASEAN to the United States and would like to discuss your options, contact us for a freight quote.

For nearly two decades, Express Freight Management has been the trusted partner for businesses shipping between the United States and Southeast Asia. We handle the technological complexity for you, managing everything from carrier selection and customs clearance to warehousing. Discover a streamlined approach to logistics with Express Freight Management for your shipping needs between the United States and Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam today!