Exporters call port fee hike a ‘bad omen’ for Bangladesh’s RMG sector

Bangladesh’s export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) industry has slammed the Chittagong Port Authority’s (CPA) newly imposed 41% average tariff hike as a “bad omen”, warning it will erode the country’s global competitiveness at a time when buyers are already shifting orders to rival nations. The fee revision, published in a gazette notification on Sunday (Sept 14) and effective from Monday (Sept 15), includes a 37% increase specifically for container handling, the lifeblood of Bangladesh’s $47 billion RMG export machine. Industry leaders accuse the port authority of ignoring stakeholder feedback and acting unilaterally. A high-level meeting held on August 25 at the Ministry of Shipping chaired by Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) Sakhawat Hossain ended without consensus, with traders pleading for a...