Exporters voice concern amid tariff woes; BICDA cites inflation, operational cost hikes.
Inland container depots (ICDs) across Bangladesh will raise their charges for handling export containers by up to 60 percent starting September 1, sparking concern among exporters already burdened by the looming reciprocal tariff from the United States.
Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) announced the decision through a circular on July 15th, citing escalating operational and investment costs, currency devaluation, and rising inflation as key factors behind the price hike.
“This charge hike was long overdue,” said Md Ruhul Amin Sikder, Secretary General of BICDA, in a statement to The Daily Star. “ICDs haven’t significantly raised their charges in over a decade, even as transport costs—like those on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway—have surged by over Tk 20,000.”
New Tariff Structure
Currently, 19 out of 21 privately operated ICDs in and around Chattogram handle around 93% of the country’s export containers. Among the revised charges, the stuffing package—which includes transporting an empty container to the container freight station (CFS), stuffing it with goods, returning it to the yard, and moving it to the port—will see a substantial increase:
20-foot container: From Tk 6,187 to Tk 9,900
40-foot container: From Tk 8,250 to Tk 13,200
In addition, the landing charge paid by freight forwarders will rise from Tk 207 per tonne to Tk 270, and the CFS storage charge will go up from Tk 29 to Tk 45.
According to BICDA data, ICDs handled 7.5 lakh TEUs of export containers in 2024—a 13.5% increase over the previous year. Notably, more than 80% of these were 40-foot containers. Based on these volumes, the increased charges could cost exporters an additional Tk 300 crore annually.
Industry Reactions
Exporters, already struggling with cost pressures and global trade uncertainties, are worried the increased charges will further erode competitiveness, especially amid trade tensions with key markets like the US. However, BICDA insists the adjustment is modest in the broader context of export logistics. “This hike is minimal compared to the overall export expenditure,” Sikder said. “It is necessary for the survival of ICDs.”
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