By Adedapo Adesanya

Stakeholders in the import scene in Nigeria are lamenting the huge surcharge imposed on them by the international shipping firms on cargoes imported from across the world into the country.

The surcharge is adding to the high cost of doing business in the Nigerian ports, coupled with the challenges of infrastructure deficiency and cumbersome shipping process at the nation’s gateway.

Since late last year, a German shipping firm, Hapag-Lloyd, has imposed a revised Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) on all container types from across the world to Tin Can Island and Apapa ports.

According to reports, documents obtained by the media showed that about $1025 surcharge is slammed on 20 feet and 40 feet containers through cargoes coming from the United States and other US territories. Likewise, from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

It was also disclosed by shippers that charges from cargoes from the rest of the world are also pegged at $1025 or an equivalent of ‎€930 accordingly.

Notably, they complained that the charges are different from the ocean tariff rates as well as bunker-related surcharges, security-related surcharges, terminal handling charges, among others that shore up the cost of shipping in Nigeria.

Coupled with the strain of the coronavirus pandemic, industries are complaining as these high prices will take a toll on its profit.

According to the Chairman, Shippers Association Lagos State, Mr Jonathan Nichol lamented the huge shipping costs and expressed the group’s readiness to take it up with appropriate agencies.

Mr Nichol said the surcharge could be linked to congestion at Lagos ports, but it is uncalled for, considering the negative effect of COVID-19, “we will certainly induce discussions on this with the Shippers Council”.

He stressed the need to review the costs of shipping in Nigeria, noting that “importers hardly make profits” due to excessive charges.

On the part of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Hassan Bello, described the charges as “economic sabotage”, saying the Council is against the action of the shipping firm.

He said, “We are protesting against it vehemently. There was no notice to us and the shippers that the charge was imminent. From our intelligence, these charges are over $1,000. It is discriminatory. It is insensitive. Just when the Nigerian economy is recovering a little bit from the effect of COVID-19, it is insensitive for anybody to slam such charges of over $1,000 on Nigeria’s trade.

“It is discriminatory because it is not happening in Togo, Benin or Ghana, why should it be in Nigeria.

“We have written a strong letter to the shipping association of Nigeria and we also wrote to their principals overseas, because this is not a local charge.

“Why should Nigeria be the recovery ground for shipping companies? We have three lines of action on the internal level; we are going to call on the Union of Africa’s Shippers’ Council; Global Shippers’ Association and Global Shippers Forum.

“On the national level, we are rallying around the organized private sector, I am already in talks with Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), I will talk to Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), as well as big time shippers like Dangote and Nigerian Breweries among others.

“We should all come together and fight against these unnecessary charges. The charges are unilateral and arbitral and we are going to protest against it because it is economic sabotage.

“It goes deep into Nigeria’s economic recovery. It is against our resolve to recover from the effect of COVID-19,” he said.

Also bemoaning the development, the President, Importers Association of Nigeria, Mr Kingsley Chikezie said the importers are not happy about the additional charges from the shipping firm, even at a time they were complaining about the high cost of shipping at the ports.

He explained that a lot of things are happening at the ports including the issue of transfer charges among others, appealing to the authorities to ensure urgent review of the charges.

However, some industrialists who were severely affected by the surcharge burden have urged the Federal Government to institute litigation against the erring shipping firm for operating against the rule of trade facilitation agenda of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) during the pandemic period.

Notwithstanding the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd closed the first six months of this year with a profit. The group profit stood at $314 million in H1 2020, compared to $165 million seen in the corresponding period a year earlier.