Chittagong port authority at odds with feeder operators
The current relationship between Chittagong Port Authority and local feeder vessel operators has recently become strained following the decision by the latter to impose a congestion surcharge on every container handled.
Delays of up to 10 days prior to berthing have undermined the economics of operating feeder vessels, many of whose owners charter them at rates of $16,500-$20,000 per day.
A big part of the congestion problem is the insistence by customs authorities that the stuffing and consolidation of containers has to be done within port confines and not at external container freight stations.
All but one of the 14 feeder operators calling at the port have levied the $130 per box surcharge, prompting the port authority to offer a priority clearance scheme for any operator not levying the extra charge. Most of these services charge $260-$300 per teu to transport containers between the nearest main hub, Singapore, and Chittagong.
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