India’s shipping regulator Director General of Shipping (DGS) has cautioned shipping companies, vessel operators or their agents against “predatory, non-transparent and opportunistic pricing” practices amid disruptions caused by the US-Israeli attack on Iran and resultant geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East, according to an advisory issued by the regulator on Wednesday, March 11.
The advisory was issued following a meeting between the DGS and stakeholders in the export-import trade, where the latter complained of the levy of multiple ancillary charges being imposed by shippers or their agents.
“In the interest of promoting transparency, fairness and predictability in the EXIM logistics ecosystem, all shipping lines, carriers and their agents are hereby advised to refrain from predatory, non-transparent and opportunistic pricing practices, including levy of exorbitant charges taking undue advantage of the prevailing geopolitical issue,” the advisory said.
The regulator also asked all operators to clearly communicate all applicable charges upfront to exporters and importers in order to avoid disputes with the trade eco-system.