In response to the protest letter written by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) contesting the imposition of Peak Season Surcharge on Nigerian bound cargoes by international shipping liners, Maersk Line, the global leading container carrier, has instructed its commercial department in Nigeria to stop applying the surcharge from 1st September 2020.
A statement by Rakiya Zubairu, head of Public Relations of the Council, stated that the recent meeting of the Organized Private Sector with the Council to deliberate on the astronomical peak season surcharge imposed by shipping lines calling Nigerian ports, has started yielding result.
“The Union of African Shippers’ Council (UASC), subsequently backed Shippers’ Council call for immediate suspension of the peak season surcharge, which it described as violation of previous UASC/European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA) agreement requiring prior, mutual and reasonable notification of UASC and Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) by individual shipping companies before any such imposition of new tariff, surcharges or increase in transport cost,” she said.
Zubairu stated that Maersk’s decision was contained in a letter signed by Lara Lana, managing of Maersk Nigeria and addressed to the executive secretary/CEO of Nigerian Shippers’ Council.
“Our principals in our Head Office have informed us of your letter with subject reference increase on 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 Maersk letter reads.
Recall that the international shipping liners planned to about $1025 surcharge on 20-foot and 40-foot containers coming into Nigerian ports, and this was massive kicked against by importers and other organised private sector groups.
