Captain Rashid Abro, Vice Chairman, PSAA in a statement issued here said, " due to non-existent role of our own shipping lines and indifferent attitude of the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, foreign shipping lines have monopolised the freight business and increase in freight arbitrarily is the order of the day.

Pakistan exports were already suffering due to high cost of doing business, as utilities were more expensive as compared with the competitors. He said the Non-Vessel-Owner-Container Carriers (NVOCC) uncontrolled by the Ministry of Ports and Shipping were mushrooming and added that importers and exporters were equally suffering due to excessive charges on account of documentation, etc.

The increase in freight rates announced by foreign lines was totally unjustified as the charter hire rates world wide of container vessels were on decline and bunker prices were also showing signs of weakness, he added.