THE Hong Kong Shippers' Council (HKSC) has written to the Japan Shippers' Council (JSC) seeking clarification of rejection of plans by two shipping conferences to introduce terminal handling charges (THCs) at Japanese ports from January.
The JSC gave its decision at the second round of consultations held last month with the owners' liaison committee of the Trans-Pacific Freight Conference of Japan and the Japan-Atlantic and Gulf Freight Conference.
HKSC executive director Clement Yeung said the council wanted to clarify if the THCs proposed by the two conferences were different from the container handling charges (CHCs) imposed in Japan some time ago.
The request was faxed yesterday to JSC managing director T. Suda.
''We are a bit confused about the situation in Japan. So we have also asked them to tell us the level of CHCs and THCs imposed by the various freight conferences and rate agreements at Japanese ports,'' Mr Yeung said.
The Japanese rejection followed the decision taken last month by the Federation of ASEAN Shippers' Councils (FASC) that greater transparency will be an ''absolute necessity'' in the establishment of freight rates and other surcharges levied by conferencelines and rate agreements.
