Ctg Chamber seeks permission for empty container storage outside bonded facilities

The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has urged Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury to allow shipping agents and main line operators (MLOs) to store empty containers in non-bonded areas, saying the current restriction is worsening congestion at Chattogram Port and undermining the country’s trade competitiveness.

In a letter sent to the minister on Wednesday, CCCI President Mohammad Amirul Haque said the growing number of empty containers occupying valuable yard space is hampering the port’s productivity.

The chamber noted that around 90pc of Bangladesh’s import and export trade is handled through Chattogram Port. However, under existing regulations, shipping agents and MLOs are not permitted to store empty containers outside their licensed bonded facilities.

As a result, large volumes of empty containers continue to accumulate at the port and private inland container depots (ICDs), placing additional pressure on storage yards and disrupting cargo handling operations, the letter said.

The chamber attributed the problem to Bangladesh’s structural trade imbalance, where imports significantly exceed exports, requiring shipping lines to retain large numbers of empty containers for extended periods.

It added that the issue is particularly acute for 20-foot containers, many of which remain unused for prolonged periods as exporters generally have a higher demand for 40-foot containers.

According to the letter, operational disruptions caused by heavy rainfall, natural disasters, labour strikes and other unforeseen events further exacerbate container congestion, adversely affecting the port’s overall efficiency.

Referring to recent initiatives by the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), the chamber said the port authority has already requested the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to permit shipping agents and MLOs to store empty containers in non-bonded areas outside their bonded licences.

It added that shipping agents and MLOs have separately sought the same approval. However, neither the CPA nor industry stakeholders have been informed whether the NBR has taken any action on the proposal.

The chamber noted that similar arrangements are in place at many international seaports, including those in neighbouring countries, where they have helped improve port management and logistics efficiency.

Allowing non-bonded storage facilities for empty containers in Bangladesh would enhance the country’s trade competitiveness, improve logistics performance and ease congestion at Chattogram Port, it said.

The CCCI urged the finance minister to issue the necessary directives to the relevant authorities to permit shipping agents and MLOs to store empty containers in non-bonded areas in the interest of facilitating trade and supporting economic activity.