ANERA postpones port surcharges<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Asia North America Eastbound Rate Agreement
\n(ANERA) group of shipping lines announced over the weekend that
\nit will postpone until Oct. 1 its threat to impose congestion
\nsurcharges on users of its services at the Tanjung Priok port.<\/p>\n
Chairman of ANERA, James T.Y. Chen, was quoted by Bisnis
\nIndonesia daily as saying that the suspension was made following
\nwhat ANERA members considered improvements in the port's services
\nand facilities.<\/p>\n
ANERA threatened last month to impose a \"Jakarta Port
\nCongestion Surcharge\" which required ship users to pay US$100 for
\na container measuring 20 feet and $200 for 40 feet and above.<\/p>\n
The threat to impose congestion surcharges came after port
\nusers criticized the port's poor management, heavy red tape and
\nlack of coordination in cargo-handling procedures, all of which
\nled to a prolonged waiting time of ships and additional financial
\nlosses.<\/p>\n
Overseas importers also complained of the poor services and
\nwent as far as threatening to seek alternative ports to ship
\ntheir goods to.<\/p>\n
Initially, ANERA's congestion surcharge at the port was
\nplanned to be imposed starting on July 15, but the group, which
\nconducts shipments from Jakarta to the United States, Puerto Rico
\nand Canada, decided to \"wait and see\" what the results of the
\nefficiency program by the port's management company, the state-
\nowned PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II, promised.<\/p>\n
The efficiency program includes a simplification of
\ndocumentation procedures and the construction of infrastructure
\nfacilities, such as berthing docks and shipping cranes.<\/p>\n
ANERA consists of the American President Line, Ltd., Hapag-
\nLloyd A.G., Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-Line), Ltd., A.P. Moller-
\nMaersk Line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., Nedlloyd Linjen B.V.,
\nNeptune Orient Lines, Ltd., Nippon Yusen Kaisha (N.Y.K.), Orient
\nOverseas Container Line, Inc. and Sea-Land Service, Inc.<\/p>\n
Chen said that other shipping lines grouped in the Intra-Asia
\nDiscussion Agreement forum, which consists of 44 lines serving
\nthe Asia-Pacific region, have also resolved to postpone their
\nthreat to impose congestion surcharges until Nov. 1.<\/p>\n
Theft<\/p>\n
In spite of the port's improved services, Chen said there have
\nrecently been increased reports of theft of the contents of
\ncontainers, to be both imported and exported, and cases of broken
\ncontainer seals.<\/p>\n
He said that although the amount of stolen goods were
\nrelatively small -- occurring to only one to two percent of the
\ncontainers' contents -- the issue was a serious blow to importers
\nand exporters.<\/p>\n
Similar cases, which occurred at Guatemala's port, Chen cited,
\nhave lead ANERA to impose container security surcharges.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Priok port currently serves 70 percent of the
\ncountry's import and export activities.<\/p>\n
Over the last five years, the number of conventional and
\ncontainer vessels using the port has increased by an average of
\nsix percent per annum. Last year, the figure stood at 12,733
\nunits.<\/p>\n
Cargo handling also increased by 12 percent over the same
\nperiod, with 26.8 million tons recorded last year. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/anera-postpones-port-surcharges-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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