ICDs hike export cargo handling charges by 25%

Due to the increase in the prices of fuel oils, private Inland Container Depots (ICDs) have announced to increase the service charges and tariff by about 25 percent for handling of export cargo containers.

At a meeting with freight forwarders in Dhaka on Sunday, it was decided to increase the tariff, said Ruhul Amin Shikder Biplab, Secretary of Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA).

The owners of the 19 private container depots which handle the pre-shipment process of 100 percent exported goods and the post-shipment process of 23 percent of imported goods through the Chittagong Port have increased the tariff twice in eight months.

The increased rate of the tariff of export cargo has come into effect from 6 August, Biplob confirmed.

Garment Exporters Association BGMEA has reacted to the ICD export container handling charge rate hike terming it unreasonable.

Rakibul Alam, Vice President of the organization, said they would seek the intervention of the Ministry of Shipping in the matter of increasing ICD charges.

ICD charges were increased in the first phase last February. This is the second time they have hiked charges in eight months since February.