Rising imports choking port with containers
As commodities start to be imported in increasing quantities ahead of Ramadan, containers have started turning up at the Chattogram port as traders are not promptly receiving consignments.
Apprehending congestion in the approaching days, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) on February 25 requested importers to have their goods away fast.
It threatened that storage area charges will otherwise end up being doubled from the 12th day of containers getting unloaded from vessels.
The warning apparently had no effect, prompting the CPA yesterday to select bringing the rate change from March 8.
Slow deliveries are triggering a rise found in the amount of containers at the slot, confirmed CPA Secretary Md Omar Faruk.
The problem has started deteriorating since early February when the port experienced an enormous influx of imports.
Interface users say commodities just like chickpea, lentil, edible oil, and sugar started arriving found in substantial quantities marking the holy month starting around mid-April.
According to the CPA site visitors department, the interface received 4,500 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent devices) of import-laden containers via vessels on the average each day in the 2 weeks to February 28.
In contrast, sole 3,500 TEUs of containers were recinded from the port on the average every day.
As of March 1, some 40,000 TEUs of containers were inside slot, meaning some 82 % of its capacity to store 49,018 TEUs had been used up.
The yard focused on storing import-laden containers was retaining 38,063 TEUs against a capacity of 39,518 TEUs.
