Anchorage, Alaska · Alaska, Hawaii & Territories
Don Young Port of Alaska container demurrage & detention dispute guide
Alaska's main container gateway, served twice weekly from Tacoma by Matson and TOTE, where domestic trade rules, weather and a single supply lane shape every D&D question.
- Authority
- Don Young Port of Alaska (Municipality of Anchorage)
- Volume
- 1.65 million short tons of vans, flats and containers in 2025 (Don Young Port of Alaska Ten Year Dock Tonnage Report)
- Container terminals
- 2
The port at a glance
The Don Young Port of Alaska in Anchorage handles more than 80 percent of the vans and containers shipped into Southcentral Alaska, according to the port's April 2025 fact sheet. Container service is domestic: Matson and TOTE Maritime each run twice-weekly scheduled sailings from the Port of Tacoma. Containers then move by truck and the Alaska Railroad to the rest of the state. The port is in the middle of the Port of Alaska Modernization Program to replace aging docks.
Because the container trade is domestic Jones Act cargo, 46 CFR Part 541, which governs D&D invoices issued by ocean common carriers and MTOs in US foreign commerce, generally does not reach the Tacoma to Anchorage leg. The FMC's rules can still matter for the international leg of a through move, for example an Asian import discharged in Tacoma and then shipped north, where the foreign commerce charges were incurred in the Puget Sound.
The mistake Alaska importers make is losing track of the international leg. A container that sat past free time in Tacoma before being rebooked to Anchorage may carry foreign commerce D&D billed by the ocean carrier or a Tacoma MTO, and that invoice is subject to Part 541. Separate those charges from domestic carrier charges before deciding how to dispute.
Container terminals
Matson Anchorage terminal
Matson · Twice-weekly domestic service from Tacoma
TOTE Maritime Alaska terminal
TOTE Maritime Alaska · Twice-weekly domestic service from Tacoma
Appointments & empty returns
- Container pickup and return procedures are set by Matson and TOTE Maritime Alaska at their Anchorage terminals; the port does not run a port-wide appointment platform.
Chassis
Anchorage has no published neutral chassis pool; equipment for domestic moves is supplied by Matson and TOTE Maritime Alaska and by local drayage providers.
Where D&D builds up at Anchorage.
Weather and winter operations
Snow, ice, cold and Cook Inlet conditions can delay vessel arrivals, terminal work and road and rail moves. Record closures and delays on billed days.
Single supply lane
Almost all container cargo comes from Tacoma on two carriers. A missed sailing affects every shipper and pushes cargo onto the next vessel days later.
Linked international legs
International imports often discharge in Tacoma and connect north. Foreign commerce D&D billed in Tacoma follows Part 541 even when the final destination is Alaska.
Dock modernization
The Port of Alaska Modernization Program involves construction around active berths. Operational changes during construction should be documented when they delay cargo.
Rail and inland moves
Containers bound for Fairbanks and the interior move onward by rail or road. Delays at the transfer should be separated from terminal delays.
Free time and disputes at Anchorage
For the domestic Tacoma to Anchorage leg, free time and charges follow Matson's or TOTE's published terms and your contract. For the international leg, free time comes from the ocean carrier's tariff or service contract and the Tacoma MTO's schedule, and the invoice must include the 20 minimum elements of § 541.6.
Foreign commerce invoices must be issued within 30 calendar days of the date the charge was last incurred (§ 541.7), with at least 30 days to request relief (§ 541.8). The incentive principle in 46 CFR § 545.5 applies to days the box could not be moved in Tacoma, such as no appointments before LFD or refused empty returns.
ATAHSKIA's Milestone & Gate Tracking follows a container across both legs, so Alaska importers can see where the billed days were incurred and which rules apply to each invoice.
Anchorage D&D FAQ
Does FMC Part 541 apply to container shipments from Tacoma to Anchorage?
Generally no. That leg is domestic Jones Act trade. Part 541 governs D&D billed by ocean common carriers and MTOs in US foreign commerce, which can include the international leg into Tacoma.
Which carriers serve the Port of Alaska?
Matson and TOTE Maritime each provide twice-weekly scheduled container service from the Port of Tacoma, according to the port's fact sheet.
Why does the port report tons rather than TEU?
The port publishes its dock tonnage report in short tons by commodity, including vans, flats and containers, rather than TEU counts.
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