ACCC Survey - Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report 2024-25

Thursday, June 19, 2025

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has advised Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) that it is now inviting stakeholder feedback as part of its ACCC 2024–25 Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report consultation process. This annual report evaluates pricing, competition, and performance across Australia's container ports — with a strong focus addressing market failures and the increasing burden due to issues and challenges affecting the container freight supply chain. Responses will help inform the upcoming 2024-25 Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report.

Why This Matters

The latest 2023–24 report (released in December 2024) confirmed long-standing industry concerns, including:

Unregulated and escalating stevedore TACs, rising well beyond CPI with no service improvements;
ECP notification fees surging from ~$5 in 2018 to as high as $179.40 per container in Sydney at time of the last report, now up to as much as $223 in 2025 to date;
Evidence of market failure, with cargo owners unable to negotiate pricing or services directly;
Stevedores using landside and ancillary fees to lift profit margins to record highs — all while spare terminal capacity remains.

The topic also featured in our FTA/APSA webinar with ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey in March 2025, providing members with valuable insights into regulatory considerations and developments across the container logistics sector.

Survey

You can access the survey by clicking the button below, which will direct you to the ACCC's consultation website. This site also includes the ACCC's Information and Privacy Policies, as well as links to previous monitoring reports.

We kindly ask you to take a moment to complete the survey, which closes on Tuesday, 8 July 2025.

Link to Survey

Confidentiality

As outlined in the survey page and through the ACCC's Information Policy, responses will be treated confidentially. No identifying business information will be published without explicit consent. Most data is used in aggregate to inform the broader findings of the report.

FTA/APSA Ongoing Advocacy

FTA/APSA continue to lead the charge for meaningful reform of landside port pricing and regulation across the container logistics supply chain.

In light of the Federal Government's renewed focus on productivity, Federal Treasury and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) have recently engaged with FTA/APSA to discuss the growing burden of Terminal Access Charges (TACs), Empty Container Park (ECP) notification fees, and other unregulated imposts impacting the competitiveness of Australian trade.

As part of these engagements initiated by government, FTA/APSA has:

Presented strong evidence of cost impacts and market failure, where non-negotiable fees are imposed on parties with no ability to influence service or price;
Raised concerns that stevedores and ECP operators are using infrastructure and ancillary charges to drive revenue in ways that undermine fair and efficient trade;
Advocated for the introduction of a mandatory code of conduct to bring transparency and commercial discipline to these arrangements.

We look forward to the Federal Government's renewed focus on productivity through its newly established Productivity Roundtable, and — critically — reiterate the need for a response to the long-standing recommendations made by the ACCC and Productivity Commission for a more competitive and transparent supply chain.

FTA/APSA also continues to provide evidence to the ACCC highlighting the growing burden of unregulated charges on the supply chain. We strongly encourage members to contribute feedback to ensure these impacts are fully understood and reflected in the final report.

FTA/APSA will also be responding to the survey directly, reinforcing the need for greater transparency and regulatory oversight.

For any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us directly via email.

Tom Jensen - General Manager Freight Policy & Operations - FTA / APSA