Exporters face container shortage

SURABAYA, East Java: Most exporters in East Java province have faced a shortage of containers in the past three months, an exporter said.

"Usually, we wait only a week to get a container. However, since three months ago, we have had to wait for two to three weeks to get a container," chairman of the East Java branch of the Indonesian Exporters Association, Isdamarwan, said here on Thursday.

Isdamarwan said the container shortage in the province could be due to the increasing demand for containers in China, which has stepped up construction in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, which the country will host. He expressed hope that the problem would soon be solved to prevent a decline in the province's export activities this year. -- Antara