Port delays: Unions calculate importers pay up to 3.1% extra tariffs for every day and a half of delay | Economy | News

The Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce (CCG) points out in a statement issued on Friday, August 16, that the customs service faces logistical problems that manifest themselves in delays in customs clearance times, shipment times and customer service, in which they assure that these problems “have become more severe in recent days.”

“This situation will lead to unplanned expenses and serious consequences for companies and foreign trade agents,” the union said. It estimates that for every 1.5 days of delay at the port, an additional tariff of 0.9% to 3.1% will need to be paid.

The agreement with China has already shown a 50% increase in the number of ships arriving at the port of Guayaquil.

The director of the National Customs Service of Ecuador (Senae), Luis Alberto Jaramillo, acknowledged during a public event on Tuesday, August 13, that the reception of ships from China has increased by 50% in the last two weeks. This increase “definitely presents us with challenges, and we are responding with more personnel and more capacity, which adds to the greater control we are implementing, which means more space and more personnel to be able to control properly. “, the official said. Jaramillo assured that they went from receiving two ships from China per week to now three.

Likewise, the Chamber said it had held a meeting with Senae directors, who assured them that they had identified the problems and were working on solutions. However, the Chamber said the strong negative impact on foreign trade operators called for effective and forceful action.

“Control cannot be used as a reason to undermine the normal development of foreign trade operations. Ineffective control, instead of combating unfair trade practices, will create obstacles and delays, affect competitiveness and encourage corruption.”

In the first half of 2024, the cost of shipping a container from China rose from $2,000 to around $8,000

To this end, he urged the authorities to follow the guidelines of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, which recommends focusing on simultaneous controls on high-risk goods and prioritizing follow-up controls. “The goal must always be to strike a balance between effective controls and trade facilitation,” the chamber defined. (Yo)