CHENNAI: Hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, apparel exporters are demanding that the government should give waive demurrage on import and export shipments beginning March 1 until the end of the lockdown. Demurrage charges are paid by stock-holders to storage facilities at ports or airports in case of delays in shipping cargo.
On Thursday, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) wrote to civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri stating that its members could not clear shipments on time because of lack of documents. While the government has waived off 50 per cent of demurrage charges on imports, the council has requested to increase this to 100 per cent and extend it till the lockdown.