Port Klang’s two terminals, Northport and Westport, have started charging a fee of between RM130 and RM620 for containers picked for scanning under the United States container security initiative (CSI).

The payment takes effect immediately and will be billed under ‘extra movement charges’ that already exists under the current port tariff.

Local exporters will probably end up footing the bill for the extra charges if their containers are eventually detained and required to be checked.

In a notice to shipping lines dated March 19, Port Klang Authority (PKA) explained that charges would differ depending on the extent of which a container was moved and inspected.

The categories are;

· RM130 a twenty footer and RM200 a forty-footer for movement of container from container yard to scanning area and back to the container yard – deemed as two extra movement charges,

·RM270 a 20-foot container and RM410 a 40-foot box for movement of container from container yard to scanning area and to depot for inspection and back to container yard (counted as two extra movement charges plus inspection and carpentry work to re-seal the boxes),

·RM410 a TEU and RM620 a FEU for the movement of containers from the container yard to the scanning area and to depot for 100% examination and back to the container yard (calculated as two extra movement charges plus stuffing and un-stuffing).

The decision by Northport and Westport puts to rest the question brought up by many representatives of shipping lines on whether there would be any charge for the movement of containers detained for CSI checks.

When contacted, Westport executive chairman Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam said the fees were not an issue as they were just normal extra movement charges that would also be imposed when extra movement was required.

“This is not a specific or additional charge for CSI checks so I don’t think users should be complaining.”

Gnanalingam also dismissed suggestions that the terminals absorbed the costs of CSI inspection, saying ports were not in the business of providing free services.