Shipping lines and freight forwarders
have been accusd of “exorbitant
and unjustified” charges related to
the new verified gross mass (VGM)
regulations.
Chris Welsh, secretary general of
the Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF),
claims these VGM regulations are
being used “as an excuse to impose
unjustified fees” for questionable and
unspecified “administration fees”
and other “services” – and the GSF
has demanded that these charges be
immediately withdrawn.
But, while the GSF cited a number
of incidences around the world
submitted by its members, SA was not
included amongst the transgressors.
And Yayeri Kisaame, CEO of the SA
Shippers, Transporters and Logistics
Council (SASTaLC), confirmed that
the body had received no instances
of these controversial charges being
imposed on the local scene.
“Nothing has been brought to
my attention,” Kisaame told FTW.
“I’m aware of the GSF charges, but
nothing similar in SA has been
reported by our members.”
And while GSF pointed to Asia
being the main culprit, Africa was also
included.
The GSF is currently examining
the following examples provided by
members and will be taking them up
with the service providers:
China: The global forwarding
company Kuehne + Nagel is charging
a VGM administration fee for all
K+N shipments booked in China –
specifically US$12.75 for full containers
if shippers are using the K+N electronic
VGM system, or US$25 for manual
data entry. Similarly, OOCL Logistics
has announced that they will be
charging a VGM administration fee
of US$15 per document for all exports
from China.
Nigeria: The logistics and shipping
firm Grimaldi Agency Nigeria has
notified customers that they will
weigh containers on departure at a
cost of N20 000 per 20-foot container
and N40 000 per 40 foot.
Said Welch: “This is particularly
concerning for developing countries,
especially in Africa and Oceania,
which according to the UN Conference
on Trade and Development (Unctad),
pay 40-70% more on average for
the international transport of their
imports than developed countries.”
SA 'not guilty' of unjustified VGM charges
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