The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has backed a recent directive by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) to streamline and cap Container Administrative Charges at Ghana’s ports.
In a statement issued on April 21, the association described the intervention by the regulator as timely and necessary to address long-standing concerns over excessive and opaque administrative charges imposed by international shipping lines and their local agents.
According to the IEAG, these charges, commonly referred to as local handling charges, have for decades inflated the cost of doing business for importers and exporters and weakened Ghana’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub.
The association also dismissed threats by some shipping line workers in response to the directive, stressing that such actions should not derail regulatory measures aimed at protecting the national interest.
The group explained that under global shipping practices, ocean freight remains the primary revenue source for carriers, covering vessel operations, fuel and capital expenditure. In addition, shipping lines also earn income from demurrage and detention charges when containers overstay at ports or terminals.
According to the IEAG, these revenues are typically repatriated to parent companies abroad, contributing to foreign exchange outflows with limited fiscal benefit to the Ghanaian economy.
The association further argued that legitimate port-related costs incurred by shipping lines, such as port dues, pilotage, towage, berth charges and terminal handling charges, are already embedded in freight rates paid by importers and exporters.
It therefore described the imposition of separate Container Administrative Charges at destination as a duplication of cost recovery.
Historically, the Container Administrative Charge was introduced in the late 1980s when vessels calling at Ghanaian ports relied on ship-mounted gear due to limited port infrastructure. However, the IEAG noted that significant upgrades at the country’s ports have since rendered the charge obsolete.
Industry estimates indicate that Ghanaian shippers and traders paid about GH₵1.69 billion in Container Administrative Charges in 2024 alone, a development the association believes has contributed to rising import costs and inflationary pressures.
The IEAG has therefore endorsed the decision by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority to cap the charge at GH₵550 per Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit effective May 1, 2026, describing the move as a balanced step to promote fairness, transparency and cost efficiency in Ghana’s shipping and logistics sector.
