The French Container Transportation and Shipping Company, CMA CGM, has announced suspension of the application of peak season surcharge on ships calling in Nigeria from October 1, 2020.
Mrs Rakiya Zubairu, Head, Public Relations, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in a statement on Tuesday, explained that they followed in the footsteps of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).
Mediterranean Shipping Company had earlier suspended application of the surcharge from Sept. 1 as a result of protests by the Nigeria Shippers’ Council and stakeholders.
She noted that the suspension of the peak season surcharge was contained in a letter sent to the Executive Secretary/CEO of the council, Mr Hassan Bello, on Tuesday from the Head Office of CMA CGM in Marseilles France.
Bello had on Aug. 19, described as ‘unreasonable and unacceptable’ the indiscriminate high surcharges by multinational shipping firms on Nigerian-bound cargoes.
Bello, said this during a meeting with stakeholders to discuss current increase in peak season surcharges on Nigerian trade route.
Those who attended the meeting were, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Nigerian shipping community.
The 2020 peak period charges, put at between $1000 and $1,500 per twenty-foot equivalent unit(TEU) by shipping firms, was said to be over 400 per cent increment from the previous $200 freight charge per TEU during peak period.
The six companies allegedly involved in the act were Cosco, Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag Lloyd and Evergreen shipping.
Bello had expressed worry that the surcharge was introduced at a wrong time, and would lead to spiral inflation rate on the economy as cargoes would be abandoned at the ports.
