THE Hong Kong Shippers' Council (HKSC) is calling on its members to not pay the terminal gate charge recently introduced by mid-stream, container-handling companies.
The council's executive committee decided on Monday to write to its members advising against payment.
The fees under the terminal gate charge range from $10 for an empty 20 ft equivalent unit (TEU) to $60 for a fully laden, 40 ft container.
'Although the levels of the gate charges being imposed are not high, we are concerned with the lack of justification for such charges,' said HKSC chairman Chan Wing-kee.
The charge, which came into effect on November 1, was introduced by eight major operators which represent 80 per cent of the mid-stream handling capacity.
They are Floata Consolidation, Wideshine Terminal, Sakoma, Hoi Kong Container Services, Faith and Safe Transportation, Happy Venture Transportation, Euroasia Dockyard Enterprise and Development and Yiu Lian Container Services.