Private inland container depots (ICDs) across Bangladesh will implement new export container handling fees from 1st September, with rates increasing by up to 44%, raising concerns among businesses about the potential impact on exporters.
The Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA) announced that the revised tariff will also apply to empty containers, a move expected to further increase costs for exporters, particularly in the garment sector. Under the new structure, export cargo handling charges will rise between 36% and 44%, while empty container handling fees may climb up to 31.8%. Import container charges, however, will remain unchanged.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) criticised the hike, calling it “unreasonable and unjustified” given the current global slowdown in apparel demand. BGMEA Director Rakibul Alam Chowdhury urged an immediate withdrawal of the revised rates, warning that ICDs are already facing capacity constraints and any increase without prior consultation could exacerbate the export crisis.
Under the new fees, handling a 20-foot export container will rise from Taka 6,187 to Taka 9,900, while a 40-foot container will see charges jump from Taka 8,250 to Taka 13,200. High-cube 40-foot or 45-foot containers will now carry a new fee of Taka 14,900, up from the previous rate applied to standard 40-foot units.
Other charges have also been revised, including ground rent, documentation, and lift-on/lift-off fees. Ground rent for a 20-foot container has increased from Taka 115 to Taka 150, and for 40-foot or larger containers from Taka 230 to Taka 300. Landing charges per tonne have risen to Taka 270 from Taka 207, documentation fees to Taka 450 from Taka 276, and lift-on/lift-off charges to Taka 750 from Taka 512. Transportation fees for empty containers have also gone up, with 20-foot units now Taka 2,500 (from Taka 1,705) and 40-foot high-cube or 45-foot units Taka 4,000 (from Taka 3,410).
Currently, 19 private ICDs handle roughly 93% of Bangladesh’s export cargo and 20% of containerised imports.
Meanwhile, trade representatives have also voiced opposition to the planned service tariff increase at Chattogram Port, which was approved by the finance ministry in July with a 41% hike and is awaiting official gazette notification. A meeting on 25th August between the Chittagong Port Authority, nearly 20 stakeholders, and Shipping Adviser Sakhawat Hossain ended without a resolution.
Syed Mohammad Arif, chairman of the Bangladesh Shipping Agents’ Association, said, “No decision was made, but all parties agreed that tariff hikes should not exceed 10%. Excessive increases put exporters at risk.” BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem also emphasised that any rise should be limited to avoid negatively affecting exports. A follow-up discussion is scheduled for 5th September.
Under the current proposal, the average tariff per 20-foot container, now Taka 11,849, would increase by Taka 5,720 for imports and Taka 3,045 for exports, bringing the total to Taka 16,243 per container.
