Strike halts trade at ports

FPCCI demands demurrage relief as exports, industrial units hit

KARACHI:

The nationwide transporters' wheel-jam strike has brought freight forwarding at ports to a near standstill, with imported goods stranded and export orders facing critical delays, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said on Friday.

FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh expressed profound concern over the ten-day-long strike, saying it is inflicting severe damage on the national economy. Industrial units are either drastically slowing operations or halting production entirely due to critical shortages of raw materials, he said.

Sheikh highlighted that traders and industrialists are suffering exorbitant financial losses in the form of mounting demurrage and detention charges on stranded containers. The inability to meet export deadlines is severely damaging the credibility of Pakistani exporters and tarnishing the country's commercial reputation internationally.

The current situation is rapidly developing into a major economic impediment affecting importers, exporters, traders and consumers alike.

Sheikh demanded that the government consider the legitimate grievances of transporters and implement concrete measures to end the strike without further delay. FPCCI called for immediate financial relief, urging the government, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, port authorities and terminal operators to grant a complete exemption of demurrage and detention charges.

A day earlier, the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PRGMEA) urged the government to address growing cost pressures and logistics disruptions affecting the export-oriented apparel sector.

PRGMEA North Zone Chairman Imran Salahuddin said exporters were facing unpredictable fuel prices, high electricity and gas tariffs, expensive financing, delayed refunds and disruptions in cargo movement, making it increasingly difficult to remain competitive.

He said the newly introduced daily petroleum pricing mechanism had added further uncertainty for exporters who negotiate orders months in advance at largely fixed prices.