Leaders of exporters’ associations, shipping lines and other stakeholders together at a meeting on Tuesday sought steps for resolving the crisis in sending export cargoes from Bangladesh, mainly caused by the shortage of empty containers and vessels.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Faruque Hassan, Vice President Md Shahidullah Azim, Vice President (Finance) Khandoker Rafiqul Islam, Vice President Md Nasir Uddin, Directors Md Mohiuddin Rubel, Asif Ibrahim, Abdullah Hil Rakib, Haroon Ar Rashid and Rajiv Chowdhury joined the meeting held at the BGMEA office.
First Vice President of BGMEA Syed Nazrul Islam and Vice President Rakibul Alam Chowdhury also attended the meeting virtually.
Exports: Stakeholders push for addressing containers, vessels shortage
President of Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BFFA) Kabir Ahmed, first Vice President of Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) Jowher Rizvi, first Vice President of BKMEA Mohammad Hatem, Director of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) Syed Nurul Islam, Director of Leather Goods and Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB) Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Garments Accessories & Packaging Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGAPMEA) Md Abdul Kader and Chairman of Bangladesh Terry Towel & Linen Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BTTLMEA) M Shahadat Hossain were present at the meeting.
Shortage of empty containers and vessels and congestion at regional transshipment ports have led to the severe crisis, hindering shipment of export cargoes to Europe and the USA.
Besides, empty container vessels are taking time to return to Bangladesh from the European and US ports due to slow unloading there, causing container and vessel shortage in the Chattogram port.
At the meeting, they decided to work together and seek the government’s intervention in the following issues to address the problem: Directing authorities concerned not to increase any charges fixed by freight, forwarders/shipping lines during Covid period, following appropriate methods while using empty containers and maintaining coordination among shipping line companies to ensure the proper use of empty containers, requesting the port authority to allow more feeder vessels to berth at the port to address the container and vessel shortage and arranging an export yard on temporary basis to facilitate loading-unloading of cargoes at the private inland container depots (ICDs).
Source: United News of Bangladesh
