Import Free Time at Karachi: How to Negotiate Before the Box Arrives
Demurrage and detention free days on Karachi imports — what to negotiate at booking, how WeBOC timing eats the clock, and when extra free time is worth paying for.
Import demurrage invoices surprise finance teams who never saw the free-time clause. On Karachi and Port Qasim imports, free days are a commercial term — not a moral right. Negotiate them before the vessel arrives.
Demurrage vs Detention (Quick Reminder)
- Demurrage: container inside the terminal / port after free days
- Detention: container outside after free days (your yard, factory, or CFS)
Both clocks start from definitions in the carrier / NVOCC tariff — usually from discharge or gate-out events, not from when your broker “felt ready.”
What Eats Free Time in Pakistan
- WeBOC GD queries and valuation holds
- Bank delivery-order delays on collect freight
- Weekend / holiday gate schedules
- Trucking capacity for door delivery inland
A “five free days” deal can become one usable working day if clearance starts late.
Negotiate at Booking, Not at Invoice
Ask in writing:
- Free demurrage days at discharge port
- Free detention days after gate-out
- Whether free time is calendar or working days
- Cost per day after free time by equipment type
For project or machinery imports, paying for extra free time up front is often cheaper than three days of demurrage after a valuation query.
MTX Practice
We surface free-time assumptions on import quotes and flag tight windows when GD documents are incomplete. If your last import burned free time on paperwork, fix document readiness in the booking SOP — not only the complaint after the invoice.