After a one-month postponement following intervention from the Advisor to the Ministry of Shipping, authorities have confirmed that higher tariffs at Chattogram Port will come into effect from 12:00 AM on October 14.

The announcement was made in a notice signed by Md. Abdus Shakur, head of the Port’s Finance and Accounts Department, on Tuesday (September 30).

According to the notice, all ships, containers, and cargo arriving at the port after midnight on October 14 will be charged at the revised rates. All users, including C&F representatives, will be required to pay the additional fees. Listed shipping agents are instructed to deposit the extra charges with scheduled banks to obtain the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for their vessels.

Earlier, on September 15, the port authorities had announced, in line with a government notification, that increased charges would be applied to 23 out of 52 tariff categories, raising costs by up to 41%. Before implementing the hike, the port reviewed tariff structures and operations at 10 Asian ports and 17 international ports, with consultancy support from the Spanish firm IDOM.

The decision to raise tariffs for the first time in nearly 40 years drew objections from the business community, who expressed concerns about potential negative effects on the export sector. At a workshop held at the port on September 20, attended by retired Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain, advisor to the Ministry of Shipping, stakeholders raised their objections. Following this, the advisor instructed that the tariff increase be temporarily suspended for one month.

Md. Omar Faruk, Secretary of Chattogram Port Authority, told The Business Standard, “The advisor had temporarily suspended the increased tariff collection. It will now be enforced starting from midnight, October 14.”

Key Tariff Increases

The highest increase is in the container transport sector. A 20-foot container will now incur a fee of Tk 16,243, up by Tk 4,395 (approximately 37% increase).

Fees for import containers have risen by Tk 5,720, and for export containers by Tk 3,045.

Each container movement now carries roughly an additional Tk 3,000.

Tariffs for per-kilogram cargo have increased from Tk 1.28 to Tk 1.75.

Other charges, such as waiting fees for ships, have also increased:

12 hours delay: 100% charge

24 hours delay: 300% charge

36 hours delay: 400% charge

Over 36 hours: 900% charge

Pilotage charges for ships have been set at USD 800, and tug charges can go up to USD 6,830.

Chattogram Port handles 92% of the country’s import-export maritime trade and 98% of container and cargo shipments. In 2024, the port managed 3.27 million TEUs, up from 3.05 million TEUs in 2023 and 3.14 million TEUs in 2022. Annually, the port handles around 13 million metric tons of cargo and more than 4,000 cargo vessels.