Thai Hang
Phan Thong
Foreign shipping lines have kept increasing sea transport charges and surcharges by hundreds of U.S. dollars for a container without giving good reasons. Freightage hikes will take effect next month. The Vietnam Shippers’ Council (VNSC) says the new fees will eat into the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods on global markets. – The Saigon Times Daily spoke with VNSC general secretary Phan Thong over the issue. Excerpts:
– The Saigon Times Daily: Shipping lines have recently announced sea freightage hikes by hundreds of dollars per container shipped to Europe and the U.S. What do you think about it?
- Phan Thong: Charge adjustments are made frequently and at will. They depend on economic situations, fuel prices and exchange rates. Vietnam is no exception.
Charge and surcharge increases have been going unchecked. Goods owners do not know clearly why charges are hiked and how long such rises last.
Will VNSC send any proposal to authorities to cope with this unhealthy practice?
– VNSC has suggested building a mechanism to control shipping charges and surcharges, with market forces and dealings between goods owners and shippers being decisive factors. However, how charges and surcharges are imposed needs to be registered with authorities and negotiated with VNSC to ensure interests of goods owners.
Months ago, the Asian Shippers’ Council, of which VNSC is a member, informed the Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council issued a regulation restricting shipping lines from imposing some fees. What can Vietnam learn from this?
– Previously shipping lines were free to collect fees, so the Sri Lankan authorities intervened by issuing a ban on unrestrained fee collections. Fighting for transparency of sea transport charges and surcharges is always a topic at meetings of shippers’ councils. The issuance of that regulation, in my opinion, indicates a determination of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Shippers’ Council took actions to protect Sri Lanka’s exporting and importing enterprises from what is called a “collusion” between shipping lines in increasing charges.
Goods owners in many countries have requested shipping lines for cooperation to fix charges but to no avail. Why so?
– Shipping lines always have an upper hand and the Government has yet to pay due attention to this issue.
What are the consequences of such a fee fixing mechanism?
– Transport costs are high, thus affecting local and export sales and consumer demand.
Reported by Thai Hang
Đăng ký: VietNam News
