The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has welcomed the decision by international acclaimed container transportation and shipping company, CMA-CGM, to suspend increment in freight charges.

The suspension takes effect from September 9th, 2021 to February 1st, 2022.

CMA CGM in a letter signed by it  Executive Director, Rodolphe Saade, directed its global partners to adhere to the directive, and said the decision to suspend the  increment in freight charges, had to do with the unprecedented hike in freight charges which begun since the begining of this year.

The suspension is applicable to spot prices on all services operated by their shipping lines such as CMA CGM, CNC, Containerships, Mercosul, ANL and APL.

“We at the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana which has been fighting shipping lines over the astronomical increment in freight charges at the detriment of our members, see this directive as a sigh of relief and welcoming”, the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana said in a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Samson Asaki Awingobit.

“We commend the CMA CGM company for taking this bold step after acknowledging the massive investment they have already made interns of increasing capacity to meet the demand of their customers”, it added

This, it believed will go a long way in bringing some relief to importers who have been affected by these unexplained increment in the past, urging all members (Importers) to take cash in on the latest development which begun this month, by patronizing the services of the various shipping lines under CMA CGM.

“We also take the opportunity to urge other shipping companies and lines, to take a cue from the unprecedented initiative taken by CMA CGM and also effect same directive to help reduce the cost of doing business at the country's ports”, the statement further said.