KARACHI, Nov 17: The exporters complain that shipping lines continue to charge from them war risk premium (WRP) at the previous rates. While the local agents of foreign shipping lines claim that they do not have any information about 75 per cent cut in WRP as had been claimed by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

A number of exporters dealing in different export goods told Dawn that when they approached the local agents of shipping lines they were told: “We have checked with our shipping lines and their reply was that so far no decision has been taken by them in the regard.”

As a host of negative developments that took place after Sept 11, the country’s external trade came under tremendous pressure mainly because of high cost, which also included the imposition of WRP by the shipping lines at $185 per TEU.

However, on strong representation from exporters and the government intervention the underwriters reduced the WRP and in sympathy the shipping lines also reduced the charges by nearly 30 per cent or $26 per TEU.

Thereafter, the government through its UK envoy, directly approached underwriters, who are mostly based in London. As a result of parleys a three-member team from Lloyds visited Karachi early this month to inspect security and other measures in country’s sea ports.

The convener of small and medium sized rice exporters Zulfikar Thaver said that as per his knowledge the shipping companies, which were charging WRP at $100 per TEU for Middle East destination and $200 per TEU for Europe and US, costs were merely paying $10 and $20 respectively as WRP to the insurance campiness.

Thaver said that none of the shipping line was ready to reduce WRP and rice exporters as well as others were in a fix on what basis they should make calculation for their export consignments.

EPB chairman Tariq Ikram during his meeting with Aptma members last Tuesday (Nov 13) had also claimed about 75 per cent reduction in WRP.

The EPB chief claimed that this was yet another big achievement of the bureau in convincing foreign shipping lines to reduce WRP by 75 per cent.