The Shippers Association of Lagos (SALS) has disclosed that 82 per cent of Nigeria’s exported agro-alied products are either rejected or seized in Europe.
This was part of a statement signed by SALS President, Rev. Jonathan Nicole, in which the group also attributed the quest for a more conducive trade environment to the lingering effects of agitations, lawlessness and other negative consequences experienced in 2021.
Nicole urged the port economic regulator to be more pro-active in curtailing and eliminating the root causes of maritime backwardness.
He noted that the restrictions on foreign exchange would be counterproductive as a lot of industries would be grossly affected by the policy.
According to him, import trade will suffer due to foreign exchange restrictions and that importers could hardly pay freight charges as the approved window was $5,000 limit for 30 days.
“Freight above $5,000 will be held up until freight charges have been fully prepaid upfront. Goods will attract storage charges abroad for as long as the freight is pending and this type of restriction is counterproductive.
“However, it is encouraging that President Buhari promised to provide foreign exchange for industries and manufacturers in 2022 because of the importance of local production of essential materials and for exports,” he said.
Nicole urged freight forwarders to be closer to cargo owners who provide them with jobs rather than becoming spies to government agencies in the name of getting rich quick.
