The workers at Karachi International Containers Terminal (KICT) observed a 2 day strike in the last days of July creating a backlog of almost 3000 containers at the port.
The strike hampered the clearance of containers for 2 days, piling up its backlog to around 3000 containers as the terminal has a capacity to handle 1500 to 2000 containers per day. Not only import consignments but exports were also affected during strike as no export container was loaded on the vessel. It is being feared that exports orders may be annulled, due to delayed delivery of consignments.
Arshad Jamal, vice president, FPCCI said that the shipping companies collected detention charges to US$90 per containers and the accumulated detention charges against around 3,000 containers were US$ 2,70,000 and. He urged the shipping companies to waive the same in order to facilitate the trade at maximum.
He also requested the KICT and shipping companies to allow relief in demurrages and detention charges till the clearance of containers backlog, which may take upto three more working days.
