The Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will increase by 4.77% on August 1, 2026, the West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) announced on July 1. From that date the fee will be $40.63 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) and $81.26 for all other container sizes, according to the PierPass announcement.
WCMTOA, which is made up of the 12 international marine terminal operators serving the two ports, said the adjustment matches the increase in longshore wage and assessment rates under the coastwise contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association. The TMF helps offset the cost of operating extended gate hours, and labor is the largest single part of that cost.
The fee is charged on non-exempt containers. Exempt are empty containers, import and export cargo that moves through the Alameda Corridor and is subject to its fees, transshipment cargo, and empty chassis and bobtail trucks.
PierPass launched the OffPeak program in 2005 to reduce cargo-related congestion and air pollution on the streets and highways around the two ports. Since then, the announcement says, more than 68 million truck trips have been diverted to the off-peak night and weekend shifts.
What it means for shippers
- Update your landed cost. A standard 40-foot container falls under the “all other sizes” rate, so the fee on it is $81.26 from August 1. Importers with steady volume should put the new figure into their cost sheets now.
- Check how the fee reaches you. Ask your customs broker or drayage carrier how the TMF is billed on your shipments and whether quotes issued before August 1 already use the new rate.
- Confirm the cut-over. For containers that arrive at the end of July, ask your carrier which rate applies. Do not assume.
- Know the exemptions. Cargo that leaves the port by rail through the Alameda Corridor and pays that corridor’s fee is exempt from the TMF, as are empties. If you use both truck and rail routings, make sure each is costed correctly.
- Keep using the off-peak shifts. The fee exists to pay for extended gates. Night and weekend shifts are what it supports, so ask your carrier whether an off-peak appointment would get your container out sooner.
The increase lands at the start of the traditional peak shipping season, so it will show up on invoices at the same time as higher volumes. Checking how it is billed takes a few minutes and avoids disputes later.
Go Trucking Services handles drayage, including container pickup and delivery at LA Harbor. For a quote on a harbor move, see our drayage service or use the form on the home page.
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Image: Downtowngal, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
