Shippers from Asian countries are seen at a photo session in Indonesia.
CHITTAGONG, Mar 29: Shippers at a meet in Indonesia have launched the Asian Shippers' Alliance (ASA).
The alliance was formed at the first annual meeting of Asian shippers in Indonesia's Surabaya city recently. Chairman of the Shippers Council of Bangladesh (SCB) Md Rezaul Karim led a four-member delegation to the meeting.
The ASA signing ceremony was witnessed by Danang Girindrawardana, ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia as chief guest.
The ASA elected Toto Dirantoro of the Indonesia National Shippers' Council (INSC) its first chairman. The ASA has also decided to hold its next meeting in Thailand or Bangladesh.
In the meeting European Shippers' Council (ESC), ASA and the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) underling their cooperation in the field of freight rates, surcharges and transport and trade facilitation. By joining forces they formed the Global Shippers' Alliance (GSA) to represent shippers' interests worldwide.
Taking part in the discussion SCB chairman Md Rezaul Karim expressed his resentment with the unilateral increase of ocean freight rates by shipping lines putting the shippers in an embarrassing situation.
Representatives from Hong Kong Shippers' Council, Macau Shippers' Association, Thailand National Shippers' Council, Korea Shippers' Council, European Shippers' Council, Indonesia National Shippers' Council (INSC) and American Association of Exporter & Importer attended the meeting presided over by INSC chairman Toto Dirgantor.
Other members of the Bangladesh team were the SCB's senior vice chairman Mozibur Rahman Mridha, director Syed Md Bakhtiar and former director Md Firoz Alam.
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