Exporters are calling the inclusion of a significant part of lquote on the ship expenses to the terminal handling charge (THC), technically a recovery of land based cost, as unfair and anticompetitive.
A breakdown of the THC shows that upto US$ 81 of the US$ 148 levy for a 20 foot container was for discharging and loading cargo, a charge borne by the shipping lines before 1997. rn
rnIndustry sources say only about US$ 50 to US$ 60 of the THC accounted for on shore handling, while the remainder of ship related.rn
rnIndustry sources also say the shipping lines have factored in a US$ 5 profit to the THC. rn
rnTHC charges at the Colombo Port are among the highest in the region, coming in at number three after Hong Kong and Indonesia. rn
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