The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has explained the reasons why cargo owners pay for the transfer of cargoes stepped down to bonded terminals from Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) even when the cargo owners didn’t consent to such.
Speaking during a sensitisation programme for stakeholders on Consumer Rights and Responsibilities in the Ports and Shipping sector, the Managing Director, MSC Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Lynch explained that because MSC vessels don’t call Apapa Port, any cargo destined for APM Terminal in Apapa will be stepped down to a bonded terminal under Apapa and the cargo owner will bear the cost of such action.
According to the MSC Nigeria boss who was represented by his Customer Service Manager, Mr. Olumide Adefisan, “Many importers still put Apapa Port as the Port of Destination on their Bill of Laden for their cargoes even when such cargoes are being shipped on MSC vessels.
“It is important that cargo owners know that MSC vessels don’t call Apapa Port anymore. We stopped calling Apapa Port in 2017. Our vessels don’t go to Apapa Port, so when your Bill of Laden is saying Apapa Port, Lagos, ensure such cargo is not shipped by our vessel because our vessel will not go to Apapa Port to drop your container.
“Apapa Port is operated by APM Terminals, a sister company of Maersk Line, thus MSC vessels won’t go there. If par-adventure your cargo is put on our vessel and your Bill of Laden is saying Apapa Port, Lagos as the Port of Destination, our vessels won’t go to Apapa Port to drop your container.
“Instead, our vessel will bring your container to the Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) in Tin-Can Port and then step your cargo down to a bonded terminal under Apapa Port. However, the cargo owner will bear the cost of such action because we didn’t ask the cargo owner to use our vessel to move a container that has Apapa Port as its final port of destination.
“TICT has a relationship with MSC while APM Terminals Apapa has a relationship with Maersk Line. Therefore, it is logical for us not to call Apapa Port because you won’t see any Maersk vessels at TICT.
“So, when we hear importers lamenting that they are being forced to pay charges when their cargoes are stepped down to bonded terminals from TICT, we try to explain to them that the container shouldn’t have been on board our vessel in the first place because it has Apapa Port, Lagos as its final Port of Destination.
“Our vessel doesn’t go to Apapa Port in Lagos. Our vessels call TICT Port in Lagos. If you don’t want to pay for charges of stepping down of your container to a bonded terminal, please ensure your container is shipped by the right shipping company based on the dictate of your Bill of Laden.”
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