Shipping line raises fees after Ctg port tariff hike

Importers and exporters in Bangladesh are going to feel the pinch of an increase in service charges at the Chattogram port as major foreign shipping lines have started imposing additional surcharges to offset the rise in operational costs.
The government, through a gazette on September 14, announced a 41 percent average increase in service charges at the Chattogram port.
France-based global container shipping company CMA CGM yesterday announced that it would impose an "Emergency Cost Recovery Surcharge," ranging from $45 to $350 per container.
The company said it was aimed at helping mitigate the impact of increased operational charges at the Chattogram port.
The main line operator (MLO) made the announcement through a notice to its customers on October 7.
"This surcharge will apply to all import and export shipments via Chittagong (BDCGP) and will be effective from October 26, 2025, based on the vessel berthing date at BDCGP," it read.
The surcharge is payable at the Chattogram port or elsewhere within Bangladesh, irrespective of the terms of shipment or contract, the company added in the notice.
According to the notice, the surcharge will be $40 for a 20-foot dry container, $70 for a 40-foot dry container, $105 for a 40-foot high-cube dry container, and $145 for a 45-foot high-cube dry container.
For refrigerated containers, the surcharges will be $40 for a 20-foot container, $60 for a 40-foot container, and $90 for a 40-foot high-cube container.
For hazardous goods, the surcharges will be $140 for a 20-foot container, $215 for a 40-foot container, and $305 for a 40-foot high-cube container.
Businesses have expressed concern over the impending increase in import and export costs due to the surcharges following the port's tariff hike.
The chairman of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association (BSAA) sent a letter to the senior secretary of the Ministry of Shipping and the chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) on Sunday.
In it, he urged reconsideration of the newly imposed port tariff and its implementation timeline, saying the sharp increase and abrupt implementation would severely hurt trade competitiveness and the country's economy.
BSAA Chairman Syed Mohammad Arif told The Daily Star yesterday that not only CMA CGM but also all other foreign shipping lines would soon follow suit to impose additional surcharges for containers to and from Chattogram.
Exporters may not be directly affected by this additional surcharge as foreign buyers usually bear the transportation costs, but importers would be affected directly.
"Although foreign buyers will bear the additional charges, this will eventually have an impact on Bangladeshi exporters," opined Khairul Alam Suzan, former vice-president of the Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA).
Following the hike in charges at the port and the ICDs, these additional surcharges by the MLOs would further increase the costs of the country's foreign trade, he said.
The readymade garment sector will suffer the most, as they will count the additional surcharges twice — when importing raw materials for their factories and when exporting finished products, he said.
M A Salam, a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the surcharges pose a threat to the competitiveness of the country's RMG sector in the global market.
The country's RMG exports are already suffering from additional tariffs imposed by the US, pointed out Salam, who is also the managing director of the Asian Group.
He hoped that the government would reconsider the decision to hike the port's tariffs for the sake of the country's exports.
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