Container haulage charges to increase by 20%

Import and export container transport fees will rise by 20% starting at midnight today (22) because of the recent increase in fuel prices, as announced by the Container Transport Owners’ Association. Sanath Manjula, the Chairman of the Association, explained that this decision was necessary to keep the import and export sector running during this challenging time. He added that the choice was made together by the executive committee, which includes all groups working at the Port of Colombo, and that everyone involved is being notified about the price change. Manjula emphasized, “Without this price hike, we cannot keep the import and export container transport services going, as we are already facing a serious crisis due to delays in getting imported goods cleared. We urge the government to act quickly to speed up the clearance process. Currently, long waiting times lead to extra costs and a lot of wasted fuel.” Additionally, the Ceylon Freight and Logistics Association mentioned that container transport charges might rise even more due to higher fuel prices. Inam Caffoor, the General Secretary of the Association, pointed out that when considering detention fees, the overall costs for container transport could jump by about 350% to 400%. He noted that the container clearance process now takes around four to five days, leading to detention fees of Rs. 15,000 for each day. Caffoor cautioned that the situation could worsen because of the fuel price hike, making it impossible to avoid an increase in container detention charges. He further explained that a container truck usually charges around Rs. 25,000 for deliveries within Colombo. However, with detention fees adding Rs. 15,000 per day, a five-day clearance would result in an extra Rs. 75,000 in costs, which greatly raises the total expenses.