Bangladesh defers Chattogram Port tariff hike by 30 days
Bangladesh has postponed the implementation of Chattogram Port’s new tariff structure for a month following requests from the business community, shipping adviser Brig Gen (Retd) M Sakhawat Hussain has announced.
The revised charges, set to take effect on September 15, will be suspended until further review, he told a seminar held at the port.
Exporters and importers had complained that the higher tariffs would raise production and freight costs, ultimately undermining trade competitiveness as it prepares to graduate from the least developed country (LDC) status next year, domestic media outlets reported.
The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) recently announced the first major tariff revision in nearly four decades, raising service charges by an average of 41 per cent through a gazette notification. The revised structure included a nearly $25 increase per container for loading and unloading.
The government is prioritising measures to boost port capacity, including expediting the bay terminal project and expanding the use of Mongla port and Kamalapur inland container depot facilities, Hussain added.
