Exports at risk at choked Bridgetown port, say brokers

The nation’s foreign exchange-earning export industry faces significant risks due to ongoing congestion and cargo delays at Bridgetown Port, customs brokers have warned.

The situation has led to ships bypassing the island, potentially causing weeks-long delays for exporters and jeopardising the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

The head of the Barbados Customs Brokers and Clerks Association (BCBCA), Louis Forde, insisted that while there is talk surrounding imports, the real concern should be the impact on exports.

“The exports are being affected by the fact that sometimes the ships have to bypass here and not have time to dock. So, sometimes you have a shipment that is due to leave this week, and the ship isn’t coming anymore, and you have to wait two, three, four weeks. So, the exports are really being affected by this issue. I think that is the real crushing matter to me,” Forde told Barbados TODAY.

“Everybody is talking about the imports, but the exports…and we already don’t have the most shipping lines dealing with Barbados going to a lot of the outlying destinations. So, when you miss a ship now that you want to send something to Dubai, you probably have to wait three weeks before it comes again. To my mind, that is the most pressing matter on my side.”

The customs brokers’ spokesman said it also means clearing the port as well because empty containers which are stacked up in the port have to be used to be sent out. Equally problematic, he added, is the fact that the empties, having already missed the boat, are stacked up in port much longer than normal.

“Well, I have had ships that were scheduled that didn’t come. You are seeing a lot where ships are about to come and then they are not coming or they are delayed again. This has been happening over the last couple of months now, or more than a couple months now,” Forde said.

In the interim, the customs brokers organisation has been working with various agencies to address the challenges at the port, he added.

Describing the space taken up by used cars at the port as a perennial problem, Forde explained that authorities have been trying to get those vehicles cleared.

“There is also the fact that a lot more space has been taken up in the port as they [authorities] do other things. So, the port is doing a lot more things. They are building a new berth, they are doing construction which has taken up some of the space; so, there are a lot of empty containers that are stacked high in the places that they wouldn’t normally be stacked.

“So, we have been working along with the authorities. The Customs Brokers Association had a meeting which we tried to push late last year to get the used car dealers, the Customs, the port and the Department of Commerce to sit down to try to see what is really the issue in getting the cars cleared.”

He explained that one of the issues which Customs had was documentation. But the customs broker argued it should not be a problem if it is done the right way.

Forde contended that the importers and brokers should not be asked for a lot of documentation “because you know what is needed. So, that can help the process”.

“Customs themselves seem to want to investigate almost every vehicle that is used that comes in. So, that too is a delay. So, everybody has had some fault in the process as it relates to the vehicles and moving cargo out of the port,” he suggested.

Forde also addressed the pending surcharge to be imposed by the Florida Shipping Line on imports and exports in Barbados to offset costs incurred due to berth congestion and operational delays at the port.

He stressed that the used car situation and the movement of cargo cannot be blamed for the new fee because those issues have been ongoing for some time now.

Instead, the Customs broker attributed it to what he described as the perfect storm that involved the influx of cruise ships.

“The cars and maybe other cargo are normally perennial problems which really didn’t cause us to be in this situation where we are being asked to pay a surcharge. That has more to do with the fact that the cruise ships…we find ourselves in the perfect storm…the cruise season, and we have less space in the port because of construction, and other things seem to be hampering the docking of boats…cargo.

“So, the lines are aggrieved that they can’t follow their schedule…it really cost them a lot of money when they can’t reach a port on time, and they are delayed or have to carry cargo back to another port and bring it back another time.”

In response to the development, the Barbados Port Inc. and the Customs and Excise Department on Wednesday announced that they are finalising preparations for an off-site storage facility.

At a joint press briefing, Port CEO David Jean-Marie disclosed: “We have identified space outside of the port which we are preparing. And we are working with Customs so that it becomes a secured customs area to assist us with these storage challenges.”

The congestion has had far-reaching effects, with truck turnaround times more than doubling to 88 minutes in January, significantly exceeding the 35-minute target. At least one vessel has been forced to bypass Barbados due to space limitations, further disrupting shipping schedules. Truck operators reported financial losses due to prolonged wait times and limited access to cargo.

A physical count on Monday revealed 469 vehicles, 28 vehicle shells, and 15 vehicles of interest to Customs within the port premises. The situation has prompted authorities to take drastic action, including plans for auctions of unclaimed vehicles and cargo.

Comptroller of Customs Owen Holder warned: “This situation in the port has now left us with no option but to pursue the law and to proceed with necessary auctions if the cargo is not cleared within the specific time”.

Port officials are urging importers to expedite clearance and collect their shipments promptly. They have reminded importers of their responsibilities and the availability of electronic clearance systems to speed up the process.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb