The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report 2024–25 is due for release shortly, with the ACCC again highlighting the extent of "apparent market failures" across Australia's container ports — and a clear call for targeted government reform to protect businesses and households from spiralling landside charges. Data shared in advance by the ACCC indicates the report as one of the strongest in decades, noting that stevedores: Are now charging the highest real price per container in 27 years of ACCC monitoring. Recorded operating profits rising for the fifth consecutive year, reaching an historic high of $808.6 million. Have increased profit margins by 14.5 percentage points over five years, climbing to 34.8% in 2024–25 — higher than transport sector comparators across the board. Are operating terminals with significant spare capacity, which under normal market conditions should place downward pressure on pricing.
ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey stated: "Stevedores are now charging a higher total price per container, in real terms, than at any time since the ACCC began monitoring the industry 27 years ago."
and "These are very high short-run returns for an industry with significant spare capacity at ports, stable costs and stable productivity… raising serious concern about how this market is operating."
Critically, landside charges — including the Terminal Access Charges (TACs) that transport operators must pay to collect containers — have shifted from being a minor cost component to the single largest driver of stevedoring profitability. The ACCC confirms: 49.5% of all stevedore revenue in 2024–25 ($1.15 billion) came from landside charges. Of that, $642 million came from Terminal Access Charges alone. Since 2017–18, stevedores have collected more than $3 billion in TACs — approximately 2.5 times their total capital investment over the same period.
The ACCC warns: "These unavoidable costs land first on trucking companies, who then pass them on to importers and exporters — who have no real way to avoid or negotiate them."
and concludes that: "A Government policy or regulatory response is likely required to address apparent market failures and improve Australia's container freight supply chain."
FTA/APSA Perspective — Data Confirms the Scale of the ProblemThe ACCC's findings mirror the extensive analysis undertaken by FTA/APSA, including the landside cost dataset released this month. Our modelling shows: Stevedores will have collected $3.5 billion in incontestable TACs over six years through 2026, driven by sustained annual increases of around 15% year-on-year. Recent 1 January 2026 increases range from 5–15%, with a peak rise of 47.24% at DP World Fremantle. Empty Container Park (ECP) Notification Fees have surged nationally, with 2025 showing a 41% year-on-year increase in total revenue flowing to ECP operators — now approaching $567 million in a single year, and almost $2 billion since 2019. ECP fees now routinely exceed $250 per container in some metropolitan markets.
These charges are largely unavoidable and flow directly through to exporters, importers, freight forwarders, logistics providers, and ultimately Australian households.
Advocacy Update: ACCC & Treasury EngagementFTA/APSA met directly with Commissioner Brakey in November to outline the real-world impacts of escalating landside charges, drawing attention to the scale of TAC and ECP cost growth, the lack of contestability, and the economic drag imposed on Australian trade. The details of this meeting are available here. Commissioner Brakey was clear that the ACCC would continue to sharpen its scrutiny of the sector — a position strongly reflected in today's media reporting. Earlier this week, FTA/APSA met with the Federal Treasury as a continuation of our ongoing dialogue and recent participation in the 2025 Productivity Roundtables. Treasury expressed keen interest in the latest landside cost data, particularly: The new round of TAC increases effective 1 January 2026; The accelerating escalation of ECP Notification Fees; The dominance of landside charges in driving record stevedore profitability; The flow-through cost pressures on Australian households, exporters, importers, freight forwarders and logistics providers.
The discussion reinforced the need for stronger Federal oversight and the inadequacy of existing voluntary arrangements, and Treasury acknowledged the importance of addressing the structural issues highlighted by both FTA/APSA and the ACCC. FTA/APSA will meet with Treasury again early in the new year — with the expectation that Minister King's office will participate following discussions this week.
Next StepsFTA/APSA will provide a full breakdown of the ACCC's official report once released. Our campaign continues — firmly, consistently, and with growing momentum.
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