Privately operated inland container depots (ICDs) in Bangladesh are facing severe congestion due to an unexpected surge in export volumes in July, pushing their handling capacity beyond limits. The ICDs handled 81,135 TEUs in July—the highest monthly volume since January—far above their typical capacity of 60,000–70,000 TEUs and well over their comfortable threshold of 7,000–8,000 TEUs at a time.
Several factors contributed to this backlog:
· A spike in export shipments, especially readymade garments (RMG) aimed at avoiding anticipated US tariff hikes from August 7.
· Delays in transporting containers to the port due to berthing issues, strikes by revenue officials, customs server disruptions, and prime mover operators’ work stoppages.
· US buyers reportedly urged suppliers to ship earlier, further accelerating the export rush.
Despite the heavy load, depots managed to prevent major shipment delays. However, the congestion is straining cargo handling operations, and depot operators are under pressure to maintain on-time delivery amid the volume spike.
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