The shipping ministry has directed the dozen state-owned ports on Tuesday to waive demurrage, ground rent beyond allowed free period, penal anchorage/berth hire charges and any other performance related penalties that may be levied on port related activities for the reasons attributable to lockdown measures from March 22 to April 14.

To ensure that the benefits extended by these ports are passed on to the end customer and to maintain proper supply chain at the Indian seaports, shipping companies or carriers (and their agents) have been advised by the director general of shipping not to charge, levy or recover any demurrage, ground rent beyond allowed free period, storage charge in the port, additional anchorage charge, berth hire charge or vessel demurrage or any performance related penalties on cargo owners/consignees of non-containerized cargo (bulk, break-bulk and liquid cargo) whether less than container load (LCL) or not for the period from March 22 to April 14, (both days inclusive), due to delay in evacuation of cargo caused by reasons attributable to lockdown measures.

The above exemption/remission shall be over and above free time arrangement that is currently agreed and availed as part of any negotiated contractual terms, DG Shipping Amitabh Kumar wrote in a March 31 order.

During this period the shipping companies or carriers (and their agents) are also advised not to impose any new or additional charge. This decision is a one-time measure to factor-in the present situation arising out of the COVID-l9 pandemic, he said.

The DG Shipping had earlier advised container carriers not to levy container detention charges on import and export shipments.

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