Surcharge imbalance containers (also known as extra cost imported goods), in English as "Container Charge imbalance" (CIC), or "surcharge Equipment imbalance" can be understood roughly as empty shells surcharges transfer .
- This is a kind of sea freight charges which the carrier market revenues to offset costs arising from the transfer (re-position) a large excess of empty containers from where to where missing.
- The excess skin is usually where the nations largest trade deficits, such as U.S., EU, or Vietnam). The amount of container imported into greater exports lead to a large container stock. According to statistics, there are several hundred thousand containers located at U.S. ports due to lack of demand for exports to close.
- Meanwhile, back in some other countries (such as China, India) container exports greater than imports of container into. And so the lack of cover packing occur if no measures to compensate.
- The lack of extra containers or to what extent it is a daily occurrence. Perhaps hardly any carrier to ensure adequate cover absolutely at ports or other countries. And often cost carriers must give to the hollow shell to ensure adequate facilities provided to customers. The carrier has its own specialized department (known as facilities management department - Equipment Control) in the track, calculate the transfer of hollow so that reasonable way to reduce costs.
- However, when the imbalance becomes serious, and costs for large carriers seek cost recovery from customers. That's why the advent of the unbalanced surcharge containers, or extra fees of empty shells (Container imbalance charge)
- Additional charges are usually collected a certain amount for a container, and can only apply to each stage, for each route of travel. In other words, in theory, carrier surcharges collected only when there is a large cost incurred in transferring containers from one place to another.
- In Vietnam, this surcharge applies at peak season last year, while imports from Vietnam increased sharply, and the lack of cover for carrier customers.
(According http://www.vietforward.com)