KARACHI:
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to intervene and direct shipping lines, terminal operators and port authorities to waive, suspend or substantially reduce demurrage and detention charges for consignments stranded during the nationwide goods transporters’ strike from December 8 to 17, 2025.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, Chairman Businessmen Group Zubair Motiwala and President KCCI Rehan Hanif raised the issue in a letter to Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, describing the situation as extraordinary and financially damaging for the trading and industrial community.
They said the strike resulted in a near-complete halt in cargo movement to and from Karachi Port, Port Qasim and related terminals. Import and export consignments remained immobilised throughout the period through no fault of consignees or shippers, leading to the daily accumulation of heavy demurrage and container detention charges.
The KCCI leadership said the prolonged disruption severely affected supply chains, production cycles and export commitments. Exporters faced shipment delays, order cancellations and reputational damage with international buyers, while importers were unable to clear raw materials and essential industrial inputs.
They said the demurrage and detention charges imposed during the forced stoppage had become an unsustainable financial burden, particularly for small and medium enterprises, warning that thin margins were already under pressure due to high energy costs, elevated interest rates and overall cost inflation.
Motiwala and Hanif said that during the strike, KCCI remained engaged with goods transporters, port stakeholders and relevant authorities to help resolve the crisis. They cautioned that continued paralysis of cargo movement amounted to economic sabotage and would cause long-term damage to national trade and exports.
While normal operations have since resumed, they said the financial impact persists in the form of accumulated demurrage and detention liabilities. They urged the ministry to immediately facilitate relief on these charges and ensure swift clearance of the container backlog to allow trade flows to normalise without further financial strain.
Separately, President of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Muhammad Ikram Rajput welcomed the end of the 10-day nationwide goods transporters’ strike, saying traders and industrialists had experienced significant disruption during the period.
He said the strike created economic uncertainty, disrupted supply chains and slowed industrial activity. Shortages of raw materials reduced production capacity, while delays in the delivery of finished goods led to market shortages and price increases, affecting both businesses and consumers.
Rajput said the resolution of the strike following negotiations between the government and transporters was a positive development and stressed the need to avoid similar disruptions in the future, noting the transport sector’s critical role in the national economy.
