Importers demand action against shipping lines for defying GH¢720 container fee cap
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has called on the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) to take immediate enforcement action against shipping lines it says are defying a legally binding directive that caps the Container Administrative Charge (CAC) at GH¢720 per Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU).
The Association argues that the continued collection of charges far above the approved limit, despite a High Court ruling upholding the GSA’s authority to regulate the fees, represents a blatant disregard for Ghana’s laws and regulatory framework.
In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Samson Asaki Awingobit, the IEAG described the actions of some shipping lines as economic sabotage, warning that their conduct undermines both the authority of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and the credibility of the country's judicial system.
According to the Association, evidence in its possession shows that some major shipping companies continue to impose administrative charges several times higher than the approved rate.
“Regrettably, evidence available to the Association, including invoices issued by major shipping lines such as PIL and MSC, indicates that some operators continue to impose excessive and unjustifiable charges in blatant disregard of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority’s directive,” the statement said.
It cited specific instances where Pacific International Lines (PIL) allegedly charged an importer GH¢4,000 as a Container Release Order fee for a single 40-foot container, while MSC Ghana Limited reportedly levied GH¢3,870.46 as an Administrative Import Fee for one 40HC container.
According to the IEAG, both charges exceed the approved GH¢720 Container Administrative Charge by more than five times and constitute clear violations of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority’s directive and the provisions of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122).
The Association said the latest developments expose persistent regulatory weaknesses within Ghana’s shipping industry, arguing that importers and exporters have for years been burdened with arbitrary administrative charges that have significantly increased the cost of clearing goods through the country’s ports.
It maintained that the additional costs imposed by shipping lines are ultimately transferred to businesses and consumers, making imports more expensive and reducing the competitiveness of Ghanaian trade.
The IEAG further contended that the continued non-compliance reflects years of weak regulatory enforcement, despite Parliament passing the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122), to strengthen oversight of the shipping sector and protect users of shipping services from unfair practices.
The Association is therefore demanding immediate enforcement measures, including legal action against shipping lines charging above the approved GH¢720 fee, an application to the High Court under Section 47 of Act 1122 to compel compliance, the imposition of all available regulatory sanctions, refunds for importers and exporters who have paid excess charges since the directive took effect, and the publication of the names of defaulting shipping lines in the interest of transparency and accountability.
“The Authority cannot afford to remain silent while regulated entities openly defy its directives,” the Association stated, cautioning that failure to enforce the law would create the impression that regulatory directives can be ignored without consequences.
The dispute follows a High Court ruling delivered on July 10, 2026, which dismissed an application by the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG) and others seeking to halt the implementation of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority’s regulatory directive issued on May 11, 2026. The ruling affirmed the Authority’s power to regulate the Container Administrative Charge.