Port disbursement is the total cost of a vessel's stay in port — pilotage, towage, port dues, line handling, customs, immigration, agency fee, sundries — paid through the local agent. The Disbursement Account (DA) records and itemises every cost. BIMCO publishes the General Disbursement form which most commercial ports follow. Master and Chief Officer commonly compare pro-forma against final DA before settlement.
DA categories
Pilotage. Inward and outward pilot fees, tariff per GT or per vessel category. Compulsory in most ports for vessels above a defined size; some ports use free-for-fee bundle (entry + exit + shifting). Surcharge for night, weekend, holiday, fog/restricted-visibility navigation.
Towage. Tug fees per pull or per hour. Number of tugs depends on vessel size, beam, manoeuvring characteristics, weather, terminal requirements. Escort tugs (laden tankers) on top.
Port dues. Levied by port authority per GT or per call; covers infrastructure access. Often two-part: berth dues (per metre LOA × time alongside) + cargo dues (per ton handled).
Line handling / linesmen. Per call or per shift. Some ports include in port dues; others charge separately.
Mooring / boatmen. Boatmen who run mooring lines from vessel to bollard.
Customs & immigration. Clearance fees; sometimes overtime for after-hours arrival/departure.
Quarantine / health. Free pratique fee where applicable.
Agency fee. Per FONASBA Quality Standard or port-specific tariff. Standard call vs additional services (crew change, surveyor attendance, drydock attendance).
Communications. Phone, fax, courier, agent's email handling.
Crew expenses. Joining/discharging crew transfers, hotel, visas, medical attendance, sign-off documents — separate from agency fee.
Ship's stores. Procurement service; the agent sources food, deck stores, engine spares, charts, etc. (vessel pays the supplier; agent invoices the procurement service).
Disbursement margin. Some agencies apply a 1-3% surcharge on payments made on the master's behalf to third parties.
· Verify the pro-forma DA before arrival; question any line that exceeds the rate book.
· Sign service receipts (pilot, tug, lineboat) only after the service is rendered.
· Keep copies of every receipt / invoice in the port file.
· On the final DA, cross-check each line against the supporting invoice and the FX rate applied; query any unsupported charge or excessive FX margin.
· Settle disputes with the agent in writing before sailing where possible; raise via the company / DPA otherwise.
FONASBA Quality Standard
FONASBA — Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents — publishes the Quality Standard agency-fee tariff and the Standard Liner / General Agency Agreements. Ports operating under FONASBA Quality Standard label (FQS) commit to publish their tariffs and follow standardised invoicing practice. FONASBA is the international point of reference for agency-fee benchmarking.
Sources: BIMCO General Disbursement Account / Standard Disbursement Account / General Agency Agreement; FONASBA Quality Standard agency fee tariff; FONASBA Standard Liner & General Agency Agreement. See also ship agent, disbursement account, laytime, laytime & demurrage.