LOGISTICS EXCEPTIONS · October 5, 2026
Unexpected Destination Charges on a China Shipment: How to Check the Invoice
Check unexpected destination charges line by line against the accepted quotation, applicable terms and actual service records. Identify the charge and its basis before deciding whether it is omitted, duplicated, miscalculated or legitimately outside the original quote.
Start with scope and the invoice issuer
Collect the accepted quotation and revisions, booking confirmation, transport-document reference, invoice and relevant service records. Confirm which entity is billing and for which service. A carrier, terminal, broker and destination agent may issue different invoices for different work.
Mark each line as included in the quote, explicitly excluded, subject to a stated condition or unresolved. Do not assume that a headline freight price includes every destination service. Ask for the tariff or contractual basis supporting an unrecognised item.
Recalculate quantities, periods and units
Check currency, container or shipment count, weight or volume basis, applicable dates and any agreed free period. For time-related charges, request the start and end events and the method used to count days. Distinguish an estimated amount from a final invoice.
Check for duplicate invoice numbers and charges already passed through by another party. Similar descriptions do not automatically prove duplication: establish whether the service and period are the same.
Example: isolate the disputed amount
Illustrative example: the accepted quote includes US$300 destination handling. The final invoice shows US$300 handling plus US$120 labelled storage. The question is not whether the total exceeds US$300; it is whether storage was excluded or conditional, what event created it and how US$120 was calculated.
If evidence shows a second US$300 handling line for exactly the same included service, identify that line and supporting reference in the correction request. Keep the storage question separate. The figures illustrate reconciliation and do not establish a market tariff or a right to refuse payment.
Check the rules for the actual jurisdiction and charge
US demurrage and detention have specific billing requirements. The FMC's November 20, 2025 notice explains that a court set aside the provision on whom an invoice may be sent to, while other provisions remained in effect. This is a reason to check current, applicable guidance rather than copy an older summary wholesale.
Do not extend US demurrage rules to every country or to all destination fees. Ask the responsible adviser which requirements and dispute deadlines apply to your invoice. This guide does not determine whether a particular charge is legally payable.
FMC: Court decision on demurrage and detention billing, November 20, 2025
Submit a focused discrepancy request
List the invoice number, shipment reference, questioned line, amount, reason and supporting attachment. Request the calculation or a corrected invoice, and record the response deadline and owner. Preserve all versions and written decisions.
Separately confirm the cargo-release process and whether storage or other charges continue while the issue is reviewed. A billing query does not automatically stop accrual or release cargo. Escalate promptly through the provider's process and appropriate advice where needed.