No increase in freight charges, thanks to direct shipping lines

Asif Iqbal
Doha
Despite the unjust blockade of Qatar lingering on, there has been no hike in freight charges, thanks to the opening of the Hamad Port and introduction of direct shipping lines to many countries.
Consumer goods are now arriving in the country at a much faster rate and at a more competitive price, according to freight forwarders and traders.
"In the early days of the siege, most freight forwarders panicked as they had a lot of cargo inventory in their warehouses and they were not sure how to ship them. However, timely response from the government in making shipping arrangements through Oman helped a lot," Pigeon Cargo Sales Manager Arshad Hussain told Qatar Tribune.
He said the opening of Hamad Port and the launch of direct shipping lines to several countries have made forwarding and receiving of cargo a much better experience.
"In fact, our shipments are now reaching their destinations much faster. Earlier, the shipments used to be in smaller vessels to a neighbouring country where they were stocked in warehouses, which caused delay and sometimes the shipments getting lost," Hussain said.
Mohammed Faizal of Al Suwiadi Cargo said the availability of direct shipping lines helped many freight forwarding firms to maintain the pre-blockade rates.
"We have not hiked freight rates to any destination and I guess other cargo companies are doing the same. Earlier, shipments from Qatar to India via sea was taking a minimum of 45 days, but now with direct shipping lines, our cargo is reaching India in less than 15-20 days," Faizal added.
Sales Manager of Al Rawabi Foods, a wholesaler of food products, said food items from new countries are coming at a more competitive price and are reaching warehouses in record time.
"Before the blockade, most of our items were coming through traders from a third country, which added to the cost of the items. Now, with direct shipping of the items, we have our own warehouse to stockpile the items and we are not at the mercy of middlemen or traders," the sales manger explained.