MAJOR flooding across Pakistan has resulted in 7,000 containers stranded on the road between Karachi and Chaman on the Afghan border, south-east of Kandahar, with collecting detention and demurrage charges, reports London's Loadstar.
Many trucks were carrying empties being returned to the carriers, but as the free rental time on the boxes ended, detention and demurrage charges kicked in and the lines started to see the cash pouring into their coffers.
Estimates of up to US$14 million in detention and demurrage charges are thought to have been levied by major lines, mainly Yang Ming, OOCL and HMM, as well as other smaller carriers, since the middle of last month when the floods hit.
Traders have hit back at being charged anything from $130-$170 per day per container for 'holding onto' boxes that could not be returned as Pakistan suffered some of the worst flooding in its history, with estimates of one-third of the country being under water.
'I have one container that is 11 days past its free time, so far, and the charges are now at $1,870 - the funny thing is that the freight charges from Shanghai to Karachi are also about $2,000,' said trader Tahir Achakzaim.
'So, they have doubled the cost for me and the income for them. It is difficult to be precise about how many containers are caught in the floods, and the value of goods in those containers, so these numbers are just rough estimates,' said Mr Achakzaim.
SeaNews Turkey
Many trucks were carrying empties being returned to the carriers, but as the free rental time on the boxes ended, detention and demurrage charges kicked in and the lines started to see the cash pouring into their coffers.
Estimates of up to US$14 million in detention and demurrage charges are thought to have been levied by major lines, mainly Yang Ming, OOCL and HMM, as well as other smaller carriers, since the middle of last month when the floods hit.
Traders have hit back at being charged anything from $130-$170 per day per container for 'holding onto' boxes that could not be returned as Pakistan suffered some of the worst flooding in its history, with estimates of one-third of the country being under water.
'I have one container that is 11 days past its free time, so far, and the charges are now at $1,870 - the funny thing is that the freight charges from Shanghai to Karachi are also about $2,000,' said trader Tahir Achakzaim.
'So, they have doubled the cost for me and the income for them. It is difficult to be precise about how many containers are caught in the floods, and the value of goods in those containers, so these numbers are just rough estimates,' said Mr Achakzaim.
SeaNews Turkey
