The Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase by 2.2 percent starting August 1, 2021, according to the West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA). The change is in line with the 2.2 percent rise in longshore salary and assessment rates that went into effect in early July.
The TMF will be $34.21 per TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) or $68.42 for all other sizes of container on August 1. All non-exempt containers are subject to the TMF.
Containers exempt include:
- Empty containers
- Alameda Corridor transiting import or export cargo that pays the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority
- Transshipment cargo
- Bobtail trucks
- Empty chassis
The TMF assists in covering the costs of operating longer gate hours to service Los Angeles and Long Beach port traffic through the PierPass OffPeak program. The largest single component of extended gate costs is labor.
In 2005, PierPass started the OffPeak program to alleviate significant cargo-related congestion and pollution on local streets and highways near the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. Almost half of all port truck journeys currently occur during off-peak hours. Container terminal owners use appointment systems to spread truck journeys out during the hours of operation, which helps to reduce traffic congestion at their gates.
PierPass is a not-for-profit company created by marine terminal operators at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach to address multi-terminal issues such as congestion, air quality and security. The West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement (WCMTOA) is filed with the Federal Maritime Commission, and comprises the 12 international MTOs serving the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.
For more information, please see www.pierpass.org.
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