What is wharfage?什么是码头费？

Wharfage refers to the charges that are applied when we use the wharf to load or unload the cargo. 码头费指的是我们使用码头装载或卸载货物时所应用的费用。

Wharfage charges are collected by the port authorities to use their facilities and services in the ports. 码头费由港口当局收取，用于在港口使用他们的设施和服务。

The port authority enjoys some flow of revenue through these charges.港口当局通过这些费用享受一些收入流。

There are three important considerations which are important in wharfage pricing policies: the flow of costs, the flow of benefits, and the flow of revenue. 在码头费定价政策中有三个重要的考虑因素：成本流动，利益流动和收入流动。

The revenue that is generated by the user’s benefits finance the operation of the port.用户利益所产生的收入用于资助港口的运营。

The port authority cannot charge more than acceptable market value.
港口当局不能收取超过可接受市场价值的费用。

If they try to charge cargo owners unreasonable amounts compared to the benefits that are offered by them, then the flow of cargo will dry up either by the ceasing of the trade or traders will switch to using other means of transportations.如果他们试图向货主收取与其提供的利益相比不合理的金额，那么货物的流动将会因贸易停止或贸易商转向使用其他运输方式而干涸。

If port operators try to charge too much to the ships then they may not call.如果港口运营商试图向船只收取过高的费用，那么他们可能不会来。

Wharfage can be calculated in terms of revenue tonnes loaded or unloaded.码头费可以按装载或卸载的收入吨数来计算。

Here are some of the sample wharfage rates for carriers.
这是一些承运人的样本码头费率。

Port of Boston:- It will cost around 50 USD;
波士顿港：- 费用约为50美元；

Port of Houston:- It will cost around 70 USD;
休斯顿港：- 费用约为70美元；

Port of New Orleans:- It will cost around 75 USD.
新奥尔良港：- 费用约为75美元。

Wharfage charges are paid by customers who are interested to import or want to get goods by the means of sea transportation, 码头费由有兴趣进口或希望通过海运获得货物的客户支付，

the agent settles the terminal charges before the departure of the goods from its side so that there is no problem after the goods arrive.代理人在货物从其方向离开之前解决终端费用，以便在货物到达后没有问题。

Technically speaking, these are different from terminal charges and container handling charges for. 从技术上讲，这些与终端费用和集装箱处理费用不同。

Wharfage charges only covers the fees levied on the vessel operator for allowing the passage of cargo through it. 码头费只包括对船舶运营商征收的允许货物通过的费用。

Hence, it does not include other port operations costs like loading, unloading, demurrage, detention, sorting,labelling or storing.因此，它不包括其他港口操作成本，如装载、卸载、滞期、扣留、排序、标签或存储。

After the goods reached their destination, they can usually be kept at the port for 5 to 6 days without any additional cost. 货物到达目的地后，通常可以在港口保存5到6天，无需额外费用。

This can be different when different agencies are interested in the goods.当不同的机构对货物感兴趣时，这可能会有所不同。

When the deadline for removing the cargo exceeds, an additional charge may be applied before goods can be released.当移除货物的截止日期超过时，可能在货物可以被释放之前应用额外的费用。

The largest income of the ports in the world is from wharfare charges.
世界上的港口最大的收入来自码头费。

Port of Shanghai: This is the biggest and the busiest port in the world.
上海港：这是世界上最大、最繁忙的港口。

This port handles about 25.7 per cent of China’s international trade volume. It has the daily cargo value of more than 1.6 billion USD.
这个港口处理了中国约25.7%的国际贸易量。它的日货物价值超过16亿美元。

Port of Singapore: This is the second largest publicly owned seaport it has the cargo throughput value of more than 594 million tons
新加坡港：这是第二大公有海港，其货物吞吐量价值超过5.94亿吨。

How to check correct wharfage charges. Wharfage charges are fixed by the authorities. They are not negotiable, however we do have to check that charges are being billed correctly. 如何检查正确的码头费。码头费由当局固定，不可议价，但我们确实需要检查费用是否被正确地计费。

This can be done by going to the port authority’s website to view published rates.  If the information is not available on the site, traders can request for the original bill from the agent.这可以通过去港口当局的网站查看公布的费率来完成。如果网站上没有信息，交易者可以向代理人请求原始账单。