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Ministry, NDRC cracks down on creeping Chinese port service charges

Time：2015-08-12 Browse：62 Author：RISINGSUN

BEIJING is prohibiting some port service charges and reducing the costs of others to encourage more container shipping as volumes slow in the face of week demand, reports IHS Maritime News.

China`s Ministry of Transport and National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released a notice prohibiting port operators from imposing fees for services other than pilotage, towage, berthing, oil boom, feeders, special trimming, waste disposal, water, bunker and power supply.

Extra charges levied for night and national holiday pilotage and towage services will be reduced 45 per cent, while port security charges containers will be reduced to $1.61 per TEU and $2.42 per FEU, the notice said.

The top 20 ports in China grew at an average of three per cent year on year in the first five months of 2015, however, in the last two months that growth has slowed to just over one per cent.