Customs authorities have instructed shipping companies and their local agents to immediately stop applying war risk and emergency conflict surcharges to shipments that had already departed or entered transit before the recent escalation of regional tensions.
The directive was issued after members of the business community raised complaints with customs officials, claiming that shipping lines had started charging “War Risk and Emergency Conflict Surcharges (ECS)” on cargo that had already sailed or was in transit prior to February 28, 2026.
Traders said the additional charges were being imposed even on consignments that had left ports well before the current regional crisis began, calling the practice unethical and an unfair financial burden on importers and exporters.
In response to these concerns, the collectorate ordered all shipping lines and their agents to immediately stop charging, demanding, or retaining such surcharges on shipments that had departed, were already in transit, or had reached ports before February 28.
Officials stated that applying additional fees retroactively to cargo already moving before the escalation of hostilities was unjustified and would not be permitted. The collectorate also asked traders to provide documentary evidence if such charges had already been demanded or collected so that action could be taken against the responsible companies.
In a separate circular, customs authorities said they had received multiple complaints from the trading community about non-transparent and opportunistic pricing by shipping lines during the ongoing regional tensions. Businesses argued that sudden and unclear charges were driving up logistics costs throughout the supply chain.
The collectorate directed all maritime stakeholders to ensure that any applicable fees are communicated clearly and in advance to importers, exporters, and customs authorities. It warned that violations of these instructions would be dealt with strictly, adding that the government would act to safeguard businesses from exploitative practices during the current period of regional instability.
