About one week after a French owned shipping line in Nigeria, CMA CGM, disclosed that it was going to slam another charge, tagged Peak Service Surcharge (PSS) on cargoes loaded in United States of America and destined for Nigerian ports, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), has warned that the shipping line cannot bring up such a surcharge.
Recall that Shipping Position Daily reported exclusively last week that the shipping line had said in a mail issued recently that with effect from October 1st, there would be a new flat rate of $750 per container and it will be applicable to all consignment loaded from the said date.
The shipping lines also explained that the surcharge is collectable on “all Cargos dry, reefer, out of gauge and break bulk”.
It was also gathered that this latest surcharge is the latest is the second in about one month because a similar fee was slammed on cargoes from Europe and the Mediterranean to Lagos ports of Apapa and TinCan.
Meanwhile reacting to this new charge, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, said that it is not true, adding that it is just a mere speculation.
He however said that the shipping line had denied the surcharge, even as he added that there are procedures of doing such.
“We have procedures of how we go about things and we are not aware of this, nobody has written to us, we are yet to receive anything on that. However we have sent the company to come and to verify that. We have to work with documents we are verifying it”
“It is not true just mere speculations, because I wonder how they could just put up a surcharge without coming to us, they denied it”
Also speaking, the president of Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) Rev. Jonathan Nicol said that as the economic regulator, the Shippers Council cannot allow Nigerian shippers to be strangled by shipping lines through arbitrary charges.
He explained that the council had invited the shipping line and they are dealing with the issue accordingly.
“Well, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) invited the shipping line a couple of days ago and all of those issues are being discussed. They are under the council and they are dealing with it so I believe that the Shippers Council will do their best because we are relying on their professionalism”
“They will not open their eyes and see someone who wants to cut off our throat and they will keep quiet, they will not do that. We believe that they will do their best” he concluded.
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