BGMEA urges NBR to keep Ctg Port, customs open 24/7, waive demurrage
The country's main seaport remained suspended since 31 January due to work stoppages by port workers and employees
Garment exporters have urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to keep customs and port operations running round the clock and to allow delivery of imported goods without demurrage charges to clear the backlog created by the recent shutdown at the Chattogram Port.
In a letter sent to the NBR chairman yesterday (5 February), the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) said import and export activities at the country's main seaport remained suspended since 31 January due to work stoppages by port workers and employees, triggering severe congestion.
The disruption followed protests over the government's move to lease out the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to UAE-based DP World, which led to repeated shutdown programmes and halted normal port operations.
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The association said the ready-made garment sector is highly time-sensitive and depends on strict lead times to meet export deadlines. Any operational disruption that delays shipment, it warned, exposes exporters to immediate financial losses and the risk of losing future orders.
Because of the prolonged halt in port operations, many factories have been forced to suspend production due to a lack of imported raw materials, the letter said.
With export orders already in hand, clearing the accumulated cargo quickly has become critical to keep shipments on schedule, it added.
To address the situation, the association requested that all customs- and port-related services be operated on a 24/7 basis until the congestion is cleared, allowing faster clearance and delivery of goods.
The exporters also called for a waiver of demurrage charges on imported goods delivered after 30 January, arguing that importers failed to clear consignments on time through no fault of their own, but due to the shutdown linked to the NCT leasing issue.
"Imposing demurrage in this situation would be unjustified," the letter said, adding that such costs would further strain businesses already hit by production losses and shipment delays.
The association said uninterrupted port and customs services, along with relief from demurrage charges, are essential to ensure timely delivery of export orders, protect Bangladesh's export credibility, and maintain the sector's competitiveness in the global market.
