How is the price of ship towing service calculated?

In Circular 12/2024 regulating the mechanism and policies for managing service prices at Vietnamese seaports, which has just been issued by the Ministry of Transport and will take effect from July 1, the price of ship towing services will be calculated depending on each specific case.

The towage lessee also has the right to sign a contract to hire a towboat from another area if the towage service does not meet the needs of the vessel entering the port area (Illustration photo).

According to regulations, actual towing time is calculated from the time the tugboat begins to support towing, pulling, and pushing the towed vessel until the end of supporting towing, pulling, and pushing the towed vessel at the request of the captain of the towed vessel and the maritime pilot leading the vessel.

In case the actual towing time is less than 1 hour, the enterprise is allowed to round it to 1 hour. The actual towing time to calculate the maximum service price is 2 hours.

If the towing time is over 2 hours, confirmation from the captain or pilot is required. The towing price is only calculated at 10% of the 1 hour price frame for the total towing time exceeding 2 hours.

In case of providing tugboats with the quantity and capacity of tugboats greater than the minimum level prescribed in the seaport regulations of the regional maritime port authority, the enterprise providing tugboat services shall base on the quantity and minimum capacity of tugboats prescribed in the seaport regulations of the regional maritime authority and the price frame according to the decision of the Ministry of Transport to calculate the price of tugboat services.

Also according to the new regulations, if the enterprise provides tugboats with a quantity and capacity greater than the minimum level prescribed in the seaport regulations of the regional maritime port authority at the request of the maritime port authority, pilot, captain or shipping line, the enterprise will have to calculate the tugboat service price based on the actual quantity and capacity of tugboats and the prescribed price frame.

In addition, the towage lessee is also entitled to sign a contract to hire a towboat from another area when the towage service does not meet the needs of the vessel entering the port area.

One of the cases that occurs is when the towage service does not meet the demand for ships entering the port area. The towage service provider must mobilize a towage vessel from another area to the towage location.

At this time, the price is agreed upon by both parties but does not exceed 70% of the price frame according to the decision of the Ministry of Transport and according to the actual number of dispatch hours.

If the tugboat provider does not meet the required capacity as prescribed in the seaport regulations and must use two or more tugboats, the price for towing services shall be calculated according to the prescribed price frame corresponding to the minimum capacity of the tugboat as prescribed in the seaport regulations.

In particular, for specialized Azimuth tugboats or VSP tugboats, enterprises are allowed to apply a maximum price frame equal to 150% of the prescribed price frame.

In case the tugboat has arrived at the location to pick up the towed vessel on time as requested by the towed vessel owner and approved by the maritime port authority, but the towed vessel has not arrived yet, causing the towboat to wait, the towboat charterer must pay an additional waiting fee equal to 50% of the price frame prescribed by the Ministry of Transport and according to the actual number of waiting hours.

The Circular notes that in case the tugboat has arrived at the location to pick up the towed vessel on time but the vessel requested to be towed is not ready for dispatch, causing the tugboat to return to the starting location or switch to another activity, the towing lessee must pay 50% of the prescribed price frame and according to the actual number of dispatching hours.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/gia-dich-vu-lai-dat-tau-bien-duoc-tinh-the-nao-192240528182151179.htm