By: Christian Hernández Castro
Port operations are a broad process that forms part of the international logistics chain and encompasses both administrative aspects prior to the ship’s docking, involving federal authorities such as the Port Authority, ASOPONAS, Immigration, Health, to name a few, as well as operational processes carried out when the ship arrives at port and the subsequent handling of the goods according to the requirements of the authorities, customer instructions, and/or specific needs of the customs agent.
In addition to the customs agent, a number of authorities and specialized service providers are involved in all these activities, whose mission is to release the goods, seeking to achieve maximum operational efficiency at minimum cost and complying with all customs regulations.
Chronologically, it is important to identify the following key events in a containerized cargo (FCL) import operation:
SHIP OPERATIONS:
- Anchoring. The action of securing a vessel by means of an anchor in a location determined by the Port Authority, when it is not feasible to dock directly at the pier. Available berthing positions, weather conditions, port saturation, infrastructure, and other factors are taken into account.
- Berthing. Berthing is a complex activity that involves bringing the vessel alongside a dock; due to the characteristics of each port (sandbanks, rocks, infrastructure), it is sometimes necessary to use pilotage, towing, and mooring services to facilitate this activity.
Note: Article 56 of the Customs Law states: The fees, tax bases, currency exchange rates, compensatory fees, other non-tariff regulations and restrictions, estimated prices, and applicable prohibitions shall be those in force on the following dates:
For temporary or permanent importation; bonded warehouse storage; and processing, transformation, or repair in a bonded area:
The date of anchoring, and when this does not occur, the date of mooring or docking of the vessel transporting the goods to the port of destination.
CHARGING OPERATIONS:
- Unloading the container from the ship’s side. Commonly included in maritime freight costs, this consists of taking the container from the ship and placing it on a platform in the bonded area.
- Terminal Handling Charge (THC). This consists of moving the container onto the internal transport unit (platform) of the bonded area from the ship’s side to the container yard where it will be stored.
- Container inspection by federal authorities. Intelligence and/or selection work through risk analysis by a port authority may determine the inspection of containers to prevent the entry of prohibited goods, so the customs agent does not always participate directly in these inspections.
- Container emptying/filling maneuver. Commonly known as “previo de la mercancía” (preview of the goods), this consists of taking the container from the yard, moving it to the preview area, opening the container in the presence of customs agency personnel, emptying it, filling it, and closing it, as previously scheduled. All physical handling of the maneuver is carried out by terminal personnel.
- Container rearrangement. When a preliminary check is carried out and the container must be relocated to the area from where it was taken (storage yard).
- Delivery/receipt of container to transport vehicle. This consists of taking the container from where it is stored (storage area) with the yard crane and placing it on the road or rail transport vehicle, or vice versa, as part of the last step in presenting the goods to the automated system for modulation, which may determine the release of the goods (green light) or customs inspection (red light).
- Storage. This consists of keeping the container within the bonded area while customs clearance procedures are carried out. By law, there are seven (calendar) days available from the time the container is unloaded at the terminal.
- Empty container delivery. Once cleared through customs and the goods delivered to the consignee, the empty container must be returned clean, odor-free, and in the same physical condition as when it arrived, to the location designated by the shipping line so that the delay can be cut off, which means removing responsibility for the use of the container for international freight service.
All movements in the port must be scheduled in advance, and any changes that alter the original schedule generate extra costs, so last-minute changes should be avoided. Port operators usually work 24/365, but their activity is based on three 8-hour shifts, so if an ordinary 8-hour shift is exceeded, extra costs will also be incurred and additional staff may even be assigned (as is often the case with exhaustive, inventory, or complex operations).