LAHORE: The massive seizure of containers by the law-enforcement agencies has put export orders at stake.

Export shipments are not reaching ports and vessels are sailing away without the consignment. Non fulfillment of international commitments would lead to disputes, loss of customers and market share as well as damaging Pakistan’s image, according to Pakistan Textile Exporters Association.

“It is a matter of concern for the industry as over high scale export goods-laden containers have been detained by the law-enforcement agencies in different cities to block the main roads. It is really very sad,” said PTEA Chairman Sohail Pasha in a press release on Saturday.

A large number of export shipments ready to be shipped have been confiscated to block roads. As a result, truck and container companies have now been holding their remaining containers and trailers at their stations to avoid confiscation.

Fearing the cancellation of export orders, he said, a huge amount of export shipments ready to be shipped as per the deadline given by the foreign buyers, would not reach the ports on time and it will not only result in huge losses to the exporters, but also to the national exchequer. “Pakistan’s economy is in a dismal state and the country needs to enhance exports to boost revenues. However, such disruptions in business activities can create a negative image of Pakistan among nations which import goods from the country,” he said.

The Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association has also protested over illegal impounding of containers loaded with goods by the law enforcement agencies in various cities of Punjab.

“Impounding of export goods’ containers on the pretext of blocking roads due to the JUI-F’s Azadi March by the police has put millions of dollars’ export orders at stake. The government must take up the issue with immediate effect,” PHMA Vice Chairman Shafique Butt said in a letter written to Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Textile Abdul Razak Dawood, the commerce and textile secretary, the Punjab chief minister and the chief secretary,

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while expressing concern over impounding of cargo containers for road blockade, has urged the authorities to use only empty containers for necessary blockade as containers having tradable goods would incur a loss of billions of rupees to the businessmen in general and exporters in particular.

“The LCCI has received a number of complaints from the businessmen that at quite a few places the authorities are using containers filled with material that is not a good thing as a large number of industrial chemicals are very dangerous”, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2019