Container congestion feared as transport strike interrupts delivery to Ctg port
Due to the ongoing lockdown and the Eid holiday, the port of Chattogram is experiencing a huge container traffic jam. The piles of expensive air-conditioned containers carrying perishable goods have also grown rapidly, causing losses to both importers and the government. The photo was taken on Tuesday. Article on page 1. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin / TBS
“>
Due to the ongoing lockdown and the Eid holiday, the port of Chattogram is experiencing a huge container traffic jam. The piles of expensive air-conditioned containers carrying perishable goods have also grown rapidly, causing losses to both importers and the government. The photo was taken on Tuesday. Article on page 1. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin / TBS
The national transport strike, triggered by rising diesel and kerosene prices, has blocked delivery of containers to the port of Chattogram from Private Inland Container Depots (ICDs).
The delivery of imported goods to the port has been suspended since Friday morning.
The situation has raised concerns about container congestion at the port as well as the on-time delivery of export goods to overseas buyers.
At the same time, productions fear being disrupted because raw materials are also blocked at the port.
Kazi Mahmud Imam Bilu, deputy secretary general of the C&F Agents Association, told The Business Standard that there would be 10 to 12,000 containers stranded in the port if the strike continues on Sunday.
“Previously, the delivery of goods was interrupted due to various problems faced by transport workers,†he said, adding that the country’s economy would be severely affected if such stagnations continued to occur either. after another.
Chittagong Port Authority Secretary Md Omar Faruque said, “The unloading of cargo from ships and customs activities have not yet been affected.
“However, this could have a negative impact in terms of the amount of the entry bill submitted if the strike continues,” he added.
Meanwhile, export cargo carrying containers from 19 private inland container depots (ICDs) were unable to enter the port due to the strike. Usually, around 2,000 export containers enter the port every day. Although some vehicles entered the port on Friday, no vehicles entered on Saturday. This created uncertainty as to which export goods reached their specified destination.
Ruhul Amin Sikder, General Secretary of the ICD Owners’ Organization, said: “About 5,000 vehicles from 19 ICDs come to the port every day to export, import and transport empty containers from Chattogram Port. only vehicle arrived at port before 11:30 am on Saturday. “
He added: “The capacity of ICD containers is 78,700 TEUs. As of Saturday, there were around 51,000 containers in the ICDs. If the strike continues for three to four days, the ICDs will be overcrowded.
Syed Mohammad Arif, President of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents Association, said: “Ships cannot leave port on time unless the export containers arrive at the hook point in the port. Otherwise, the ships will leave the port without taking the export goods. If a vessel waits longer than a day, it will have to pay a fine of USD 10-12,000 depending on the size.
“On the other hand, if the ship leaves without exporting goods, the goods cannot be delivered to foreign buyers within the time limit. Exporters will face financial losses.”
Meanwhile, due to the transport strike, vehicles carrying goods are also not entering Khatunganj, the country’s largest wholesale market. Traders believe that if the strike continues, the price of goods could rise.
Azizul Haque, organizing secretary of the Chattogram Pulses Mill Businessmen Association, said: “300 vehicles carrying goods enter the Khatunganj Chaktai market every day. Only 50 vehicles entered on Friday, while no vehicles entered on Saturday. the market will be stable for two more days. If the situation does not change, the price of the product may increase. “