15 September 2021

Dublin Port publishes Port Infrastructure Charges Pricing Strategy 2022 to 2026

Dublin Port Company (DPC) has today published a new Pricing Strategy, which provides for increases in port infrastructure charges over the five-year period from 2022 to 2026, in accordance with national ports legislation (Harbours Act, 1996) and the EU Port Regulation (2017/352).

Customers are being advised in advance of the changes which come into effect on 1^st April 2022.

The new Pricing Strategy is needed to enable DPC’s ongoing capital investment programme.  Capital expenditure of €386 million is planned over the five years from 2022 to 2026 as part of an overall investment programme of €1.6 billion over the 30 year period of Masterplan 2040 by which stage Dublin Port will have reached its ultimate capacity. 

It is the first time in more than a decade that increases in port infrastructure charges will apply across DPC’s business. There have been no increases in port infrastructure charges in the first ten years of Masterplan (2012-2021), save in a limited number of cases where increases were low. More recently, DPC postponed a planned increase in 2020 owing to the exceptional trading environment created by Covid-19.

Today, port infrastructure charges for the largest part of DPC’s business – unitised goods (trailers and containers) – are lower now than they were when DPC was corporatised in 1996.

Because port infrastructure charges are so low by comparison to the value of goods imported and exported, the increases in these charges over the five years from 2022 to 2026 are not expected to have any perceptible impact on consumer prices.

A copy of the Pricing Strategy is available to download HERE

In summary, the main increases in Goods Dues include:

1. Goods dues on empty containers and trailers are currently at a level of 26% of the rate for laden units. However, empty and laden containers and trailers require the same port infrastructure investment.  DPC will increase the level of charges for empty units in equal tranches in each of 2022 and 2023 so as to bring them to the same level as laden units.
2. There will a single increase of 12.5% on the level of goods dues for unitised goods in 2024 with no further increases in 2025 and 2026.
3. The goods dues rate for trade vehicles (primarily imported new cars), bulk liquid commodities (primarily petroleum products) and bulk solid commodities will increase by no less than 2.5% in each year from 2022 to 2026.
4. Charges for ferry passengers and tourist vehicles will increase by no more than 2.5% in each year from 2022 to 2026.
5. No price increases are planned for cruise passengers over the five years from 2022 to 2026.

In addition, charges for Ships Tonnage Dues for all other categories of ships except for cruise ships will increase by no more than 2.5% in each year from 2022 to 2026.