Goods transporters strike at city port hits export trade severely

The goods transport carriers strike has completely halted the export and import activities and has also damaged the industrial manufacturing capacity of the country resulting in per day losses of around Rs. 3.6 billion to the foreign exchange earnings through exports of textile products only. All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Sindh-Balochistan region) Chairman M. Yasin Siddik in a statement issued to the press said that the goods transport carriers strike which had entered into its ninth day had ceased business activities as the goods were not reaching the ports due to which the country had suffered a loss of exports of $ 600 million so far.
The goods transport carriers strike had not only hurt shipments of export consignments but have also disturbed import business as importers were forced to pay demurrages for not being able to clear their consignments from the ports. Furthermore, the strike had been affecting manufacturing activity as industrial units were not receiving raw materials and fuel to run their mills, thus resulting in a loss of over Rs. 3.6 billion per day.
Siddik said if the strike was not called off at the earliest, the exporters would have to face huge financial losses for shipping their goods by air to fulfill their commitments or else they would lose their hard earned export contracts. Siddik further said that the members of the textile mills association have made international commitments and failure to perform would lead to disputes, loss of valued customers, and loss of market share, adding that it would also damage Pakistan’s reputation as a reliable supplier internationally.
He stressed upon the government to find out a workable solution to the problem and urged them to play a positive role to end the ongoing strike so that business activities could be started without any further delays.