Allow off- dock storage for empty containers

CHATTOGRAM, July 30: The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has urged Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury to allow shipping agents and main line operators (MLOs) to store empty containers in non-bonded areas, saying the current restriction is worsening congestion at Chittagong Port.

In a letter sent on Thursday, CCCI President Mohammad Amirul Haque said that the growing number of empty containers occupying valuable yard space is hampering the port's productivity.

Around 90 per cent of Bangladesh's import and export trade is handled through Chattogram Port, according to the letter. However, under existing regulations, shipping agents and MLOs are not permitted to store empty containers outside their licensed bonded facilities.

As a result, large volumes of empty containers continue to accumulate at the port and private inland container depots (ICDs), placing additional pressure on storage yards and disrupting cargo handling operations.

CCCI President Mohammad Amirul Haque attributed the problem to Bangladesh's structural trade imbalance, where imports significantly exceed exports, requiring shipping lines to retain large numbers of empty containers for extended periods.

The issue is particularly acute for 20-foot containers, many of which remain unused for prolonged periods as exporters generally have a higher demand for 40-foot containers.

The CCCI chief urged the finance minister to issue the necessary directives to the relevant authorities to permit shipping agents and MLOs to store empty containers in non-bonded areas in the interest of facilitating trade and supporting economic activity.

Earlier, the CPA has once again urged the NBR to allow shipping agents and MLOs to store empty containers at suitable locations outside bonded facilities.

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