PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Thursday expressed serious concern over the imposition of Rs50 per kilogram ad hoc charge on export cargo by handling agency Gerry’s dnata, warning that the move could paralyse time-sensitive exports from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In a joint statement, SCCI president Junaid Altaf, senior vice president Mohammad Nadeem, vice president Sabir Ahmad Bangash and members of executive committee

termed the additional levy a ‘predatory financial burden’ that could push Pakistani products out of international markets at a time when the country’s economy was already fragile.

SCCI office-bearers said that Gerry’s dnata, a major player in air cargo handling with a near-monopoly over critical infrastructure, had left exporters with no viable alternatives, forcing them to absorb unsustainable costs.

They said that the surcharge, which came into effect across all warehouses in the country on March 13, directly undermined the competitiveness of high-value, perishable and time-sensitive exports -- key components of the region’s trade with European Union, the United States and Middle Eastern markets.

“Exporters are already grappling with soaring international freight rates and a volatile domestic economic environment,” Mr Altaf said.

He added that the imposition of an additional Rs50 per kilogram charge would not only create a commercial hurdle but also act as a deterrent to industrial productivity.

He said that the measure would particularly discourage small and medium-sized exporters, who relied on air freight to sustain their global supply chains.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026