FEFC lines lifting United Kingdom congestion charge

FEFC lines lifting United Kingdom congestion charge

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The Far Eastern Freight Conference lines have suspended their $145-per-TEU congestion charge for westbound cargo calling at ports in the United Kingdom.
   The charge was introduced at the start of December to help carriers recover costs incurred by what they described as chronic congestion at the country’s major terminals and inland network. The move drew severe criticism at the time from British shipper groups such as the Freight Transport Association and British International Freight Association, who claimed the charge was a “cartel-type throwback” that was unlikely to solve the problem in the long term.
   Following a 60-day review, the FEFC secretariat said, “An improvement in the port congestion situation in the U.K. has been detected.”
   The FEFC added that it would continue to monitor the situation. “Port congestion continues to be an expensive and inefficient aspect of European maritime activity, in both northern Europe and the Mediterranean, and the FEFC lines are very concerned at the current situation and the likelihood of future increased congestion with ever-growing container volumes.”