Demurrage relief sought

LAHORE: Thousands of containers carrying imported goods are stuck at the port and cannot be cleared because the required documents have not yet reached from China, an official said on Wednesday.

Talking to The News, Nauman Kabir, chairman of the Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF), said the shipping lines and the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) have imposed heavy demurrage on them, and there is no relief in sight for the importers. There is a delay in delivery of documents from China because of the closure of offices. In the absence of these documents, Kabir said, the banks and other related entities are not ready to order release of these shipments.

He said an importer of food essence told him that the demurrage imposed on his container was almost equal to the cost of the merchandise he had imported. Kabir urged the government to discuss the issue with the shipping lines and KPT and announce relief for the importers whose containers are stuck at the port. They deserve this favour because they are victims of circumstances that they, along with the rest of the world, are facing at the moment, he added.