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By Kenneth Jukpor
Following the wide condemnation of the recent 400 percent increment in peak season surcharges by global shipping companies, MAERSK Line has instructed its commercial department to stop applying the surcharge from tomorrow, September 1st, 2020.
This is in response to protests by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) which recently convened a meeting of the Organized Private Sector to deliberate on the astronomical peak season surcharge imposed by shipping lines calling in Nigeria.
Subsequently, the Union of African Shippers’ Council (UASC) backed Shippers’ Council as it also called for immediate suspension of the peak season surcharge describing it as a violation of previous UASC/European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA) agreement requiring prior, mutual and reasonable notification of UASC and PMAWCA by individual shipping companies before any such imposition of new tariff, surcharges or increase in transport cost.
A letter signed by Lara Lana, Managong Director of MAERSK Nigeria and addressed to the Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello, stated that “our principals in our Head Office have informed us of your letter with subject reference increase in peak season surcharge”.
It further stated that “we would like to thank you for the supporting document you shared shedding light on the meeting between the ECSA and UASC”.
The Head of Public Relations, NSC, Rakiya Zubairu revealed this in a press release disseminated today.
