AFTER getting a reprieve from some members of the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) on the container deposit fee, the Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association (PISFA) is now looking at reducing other charges levied by shipping lines not part of the AISL.
Among these charges are the facilities and administration recovery charge, container cleaning fee, telex release fee, container insurance, cost recovery charge and the bill of lading (B/L) fee.
“These charges are implemented unjustifiably and shipping lines always enforce any increase at their liberty without properly informing shippers,” PISFA president Dexter Yu told PortCalls.
“PISFA has been clamoring for a lengthy and proper meeting with the lines in the past couple of months as such fees have direct impact on the country’s exports,” Yu added.
The association has written the Philippine Shippers’ Bureau (PSB), requesting it to take the lead in asking international carriers to come to the negotiating table.
“Hopefully, with PSB as the lead agency in the negotiations, we could get very favorable results to complement our own initiative in bringing down the total logistics cost of shipping products to the international market,” Yu stressed.
Early this month, five AISL-member lines agreed to ease requirements on the container deposit fee to give forwarders breathing room amid volatility in the international freight forwarding industry.
PISFA and AISL are working on a follow up agreement focusing on the telex release fee and B/L fee before tackling other more contentious issues such as the terminal handling charge
