KARACHI: Capitalising on regional geopolitical tensions, the shipping lines have allegedly started collecting ‘War Risk and Emergency Conflict Surcharges (ECS)’ even on shipments that had already departed or were already in transit before the escalation of hostilities on February 28, 2026.
According to the details, the issue came to light when the business community flagged the practice to customs authorities, raising alarm over what they described as an unjustified financial burden being placed on the trade.
Traders disclosed that shipping lines were levying ECS even on cargo that had set sail or entered transit well before the outbreak of the current regional crisis, a move widely condemned as opportunistic and commercially unethical.
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Responding swiftly to the outcry, the collectorate has issued a directive, ordering all shipping lines and their local agents to immediately cease levying, recovering, demanding, or retaining any such surcharge on consignments that had already sailed, moved into transit, or reached ports before February 28, 2026.
Authorities made clear that retroactive billing on cargo already in motion before the escalation of hostilities was wholly unjustified and would not be tolerated.
The collectorate further urged the business community to come forward with documentary evidence in cases where such amounts have already been demanded or recovered, assuring that appropriate action would be taken against violators.
In a separate but related circular, the collectorate also acknowledged that it had received multiple representations from traders regarding a broader pattern of non-transparent and opportunistic pricing practices by shipping lines, carriers, and their agents. The charges, according to them, lacked clarity and appeared designed to exploit the prevailing war-like situation, artificially inflating transaction costs across the logistics chain.
In response, the collectorate ordered all maritime stakeholders to refrain from non-transparent or exploitative pricing and to ensure that all applicable charges are communicated clearly and in advance to exporters, importers, and other relevant parties, as well as to the customs office for the record.
The authority warned that any deviation from these directives would be viewed seriously and dealt with accordingly, highlighting the government’s resolve to protect the business community from undue financial exploitation during a period of regional instability.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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