The Government Office of Vietnam said it intends to look into allegations that foreign carriers are levying unreasonable surcharges on local shippers and port users.
Three agencies have been instructed to revisit the surcharges imposed by international shipping lines to see if they are violating the local competition law and global regulations, and apply penalties accordingly, a report by Thanh Nien News said.
To carry out the investigation are the ministries of finance, transport, and industry and trade, which also plan to get state approval for a proposed list of shipping surcharges that can be applied in Vietnam.
Since last year, trade associations have complained of the alleged unreasonable fees implemented by foreign carriers on import and export shipments.
Shippers said they have had to pay 10 different kinds of surcharges that are included in transport fees, and that they have no choice but to comply since the domestic fleet is not equipped to handle all of the freight. These cover a gamut of charges ranging from fees for cleaning containers and repair works to port congestion charges.
Foreign shipping firms are said to offer reduced transport fees to attract customers, only to allegedly pad up shipping surcharges to offset the discount.
ANZ upgrades Vietnam growth forecast
In other country news, ANZ Bank raised its projections for the annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of Vietnam for 2015 and 2016.
The bank increased its GDP forecast to 6.5% for both 2015 and 2016, from the previous 6.2% and 6.4%, respectively.
In upgrading its forecast, the bank said the continuing robust external demand and various indicators pointing to a recovery in domestic demand were the basis for the country’s revised outlook, according to a report by Viet Nam News.
Photo: Jean-Marie Hullot
