Apparel manufacturers from now on will not be required to pay extra charges to shipping agents and vessel operators.

The decision came following a meeting between Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) members and Chittagong Joint Forces commander in Chittagong on Thursday. Representatives of customs freight forwarders and main line operators were also present.

According to the decision, BGMEA members will pay a fixed amount of $43.40 and $65.10 in terminal handling charges for twenty-foot equivalent units and

forty -foot equivalent units of full load containers respectively at the export level.

Earlier, the exporters were forced to pay main line operators and shipping agents additional Tk 2,000 and Tk 4,000 in various kinds of charges and surcharges for twenty equivalent feet and forty equivalent feet containers.

The meeting also took the decision that the exporters will pay $130 and $195 in terminal handling charges for twenty-foot equivalent units and forty-foot equivalent units less container loads.

Among others, BGMEA President Anwar -ul- Alam Chowdhury Parvez and Chittagong Joint Forces Commander Brigadier General Hasan Nasir attended the meeting.

The joint forces will also help BGMEA members get back the extra charges paid after February 15, 2007, subject to submission of specific documents in favour of

their demands.

If there is any additional charge applicable for export and import the freight forwarders should pay that, but in Bangladesh the exporters have to pay the charges, the BGMEA president told The Daily Star.

He said the BGMEA members hope the situation will improve following the intervention by the joint forces.

The meeting also hoped the freight forwarding policy will be implemented within the next seven days.

The meeting decided to allow importers to take their containers from hook points.

The rate of terminal handling charge at import level will be fixed on May 14 following submission of a report prepared by an expert committee.