Wednesday, April 02, 2003
KARACHI: Pakistan’s top state export body said Tuesday that some shipping companies and airlines have imposed a war risk surcharge and higher bunker charges for goods headed toward the Persian Gulf.
The Export Promotion Bureau said on its Web site that European airlines operating from Pakistan have levied a war risk surcharge of Rs 6 a kilogram since March 26 and raised fuel charges by Rs 12/kg from March 27.
APL, a leading regional shipping company, has imposed a war risk surcharge of $30 for 20-foot containers and $60 for 40-foot containers from April on cargo bound for the Gulf.
An executive of APL told Dow Jones Newswires that the company still hasn’t imposed a war risk levy on Europe and US-bound vessels.
All shipping companies operating from Pakistani ports have raised bunker charges to $95 for 20-foot containers and $190 for 40-foot containers effective Tuesday, EBP said in a statement.
“These charges have been enhanced under a bunker adjustment factor and intimated to the exporters through a circular by the local agents of shipping lines,” the statement said.
It said feeder line Yang Ming Lines has levied a war risk surcharge of $35 on 20-foot containers with export cargo and $50 on 20-foot containers with import cargo.
Delta Shipping, another feeder line, has levied a war risk surcharge of $65 and $130 on 20-foot and 40-foot containers, respectively, on cargo heading to the Gulf and Kuwait.
EPB said Mediterranean Shipping has also levied a war risk surcharge of $75 on 20-foot containers and $150 on 40-foot containers on cargo bounded for ports in the Gulf.
Exports rose 19 percent to $6.916 billion in the first eight months of the current financial year ending June 30, from $5.812 billion in the same period a year earlier. Most analysts believe the war in Iraq will hurt export growth. -Dow Jones Newswires
