The Gandhidham Chamber of Commerce & Industry – GCCI has requested the global shipping lines and port operators to grant temporary relief to traders, especially, exporters, importers, and freight forwarders as well as logistics operators that function in the Gandhidham-Kandla region.
This temporary relief to traders appeal comes as the geopolitical tensions involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran keep rising by the day, which have gone ahead and disrupted trade routes and also sharply increased the freight rates.
So what are the relief measures requested?
Apparently, the GCCI has asked for –
- Waiver in terms of detention charges on containers that are delayed.
- Waiver of booking cancellation charges for the Middle East shipments.
- Terminal-level waivers such as shut-out charges, back-to-town charges, ground rent as well as storage fees.
- Waiver of war risk premium pertaining to shipments that have been loaded before February 28, 2026.
What are the concerns raised?
The GCCI President, Shri Teja Kangad, has warned that the unilateral charges could go ahead and threaten the sustainability related to trade and disrupt the EXIM ecosystem of India.
The Chamber, notably, has asked for intervention from Sarbananda Sonowal, the Union Minister, as well as other authorities.
With this, the GCCI hopes for cooperation from shipping lines as well as port stakeholders to support the trade community during such an extraordinary crisis that is at present persistent in the world.
