The disjointed approach adopted by many African countries is said to have weakened the continent’s bargaining power, limiting efforts to effectively challenge unfair practices within the shipping space.
By Blue Africa News
Players in the African shipping industry have been urged to forge a stronger and united front in confronting what is being described as unfair and excessive charges within the sector.
Stakeholders say that for many African businesses, the journey of cargo does not end when a vessel docks at a port within the continent. Docking, they say, sparks a raft of charges, fees and administrative costs that “importers and exporters say are becoming increasingly difficult to explain and even harder to absorb.”
While issuing a rallying call for collaboration, Ransford Gyampo, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), expressed concern over the absence of a united African front in dealing with arbitrary charges introduced by some global shipping operators.
The GSA boss said across the continent, frustration is growing over what industry players describe as arbitrary charges imposed by some international shipping lines, inflating the cost of trade and weakening Africa’s competitiveness.
The fragmented approach adopted by many African countries, he said, has weakened the continent’s bargaining power and limits efforts to effectively challenge unfair practices within the shipping space.
“Ghana has consistently pursued measures aimed at protecting shippers through stakeholder engagements, regulatory interventions and sustained advocacy for transparency and fairness in shipping related charges,” noted the CEO, adding that Africa’s response to arbitrary shipping charges must now move beyond isolated national actions and evolve into a coordinated continental strategy.
Gyampo spoke during a recent working visit to the GSA in Accra by the Secretary General of the Union of African Shippers’ Councils (UASC) Abbba Kafougou Abdourahamane, ahead of the union’s steering committee meeting scheduled to take place in Ghana in July 2026, where he challenged UASC to deepen collaboration with member states and support collective efforts, aimed at addressing the growing concern of excessive charges within Africa’s shipping spaces.
He revealed that GSA had postponed the rollout of the revised container administrative charge to July 01, 2026, after industry stakeholders raised concerns about rising port costs.
The charge was originally set to take effect on May 01, 2026, and the delay now allows more consultations with shipping lines, freight forwarders, importers, exporters, and other players to develop a fair pricing structure that supports competitiveness.
Responding to the concerns, Abdourahamane commended Ghana for playing a leading role in the campaign against arbitrary shipping charges on the continent.
“Ghana is a giant in Africa’s efforts to challenge unfair shipping charges,” he said, assuring the GSA of the UASC’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the authority and other authorities across Africa.
The two leaders’ sentiments came as several shipping companies continue implementing temporary fuel surcharges due to rising fuel costs driven by the Middle East conflict, having Israel and the United States of America (USA) on one hand and Iran on the other hand, since the end of February, 2026.
A fuel surcharge refers to an additional fee imposed by transport companies to safeguard against fuel price fluctuations.
Major world carriers including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Roble Shipping, Medallion Transport and Trans-Asia Shipping Lines are adding the fees to offset operational costs, with the adjustments affecting both cargo rates and passenger fares.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing operational efficiency at the country’s ports through sustained regulatory reforms aimed at reducing costs, improving transparency, and boosting trade competitiveness.
According to Dr. Pius Akutah, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, the maritime sector remains a major driver of the nation’s economy, with ports serving as critical gateways for trade, investment and economic growth.
Efficient port operations, he said, play a significant role in lowering logistics costs, improving export performance, and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness in global trade.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News