Bangladesh will soon request Singapore to withdraw embargo imposed on transshipment of hydrogen peroxide through the port of Singapore that has stalled export of the chemical compound since a Chittagong container-depot blaze.
In a meeting at the ministry of commerce (MoC) on Wednesday afternoon the shipping agents said if the hydrogen peroxide is packed in line with the IMDG code (International Maritime Dangerous Goods code) and the port of Singapore withdraws the restrictions, they have no problem in carrying the chemical.
The MoC had convened the meeting in the face of allegations by hydrogen- peroxide exporters that ship liners have not transported the chemical cargo from Bangladesh since the fire incident at the BM Container Depot on June 04 that killed 49 people and injured hundreds.
They said due to noncooperation by the shipping agents export of hydrogen peroxide totally halted and thus they were losing market. Bangladesh annually exports hydrogen peroxide worth US$22 million.
On the other hand, the shipping agents said after the depot fire, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) on June 9 issued a notification stating that storage of hydrogen peroxide at the port had gone beyond the limit and so it was halting the transshipment through the port for the time being.
"To keep this DG (dangerous cargo) inventory level within the safety limit prescribed by the authorities, we need to take immediate measure to stop accepting hydrogen-peroxide containers until the inventory level goes back to normal," the PSA said.
However, the Singapore port authority has yet to withdraw the restrictions and thus no fresh containers full of hydrogen peroxide are accepted at the port.
Shipping agents at the meeting said carrying hydrogen peroxide through other regional transshipment ports like Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, and Colombo is not viable for ship liners considering Bangladesh's export market of the item and their deployment of ships.
Chairman of Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association (BSAA) Syed Mohammad Arif told the FE Bangladesh's export cargo of hydrogen peroxide was responsible for some minor incidents in various foreign ports in the past as they were not packed properly in line with the IMDG code.
"If the exporters pack the hydrogen peroxide properly and the Singapore port authority withdraws the restriction, we will definitely carry the chemical," he says.
Mr Arif mentions that Bangladesh mainly exports hydrogen peroxide to India, Pakistan and Vietnam where sending the cargoes from Singapore is feasible, instead of other transshipment routes.
BSAA Director Muntasir Rubayat told the FE since the shipping lines would not be able to unload hydrogen peroxide-laden containers at the port of Singapore due to the restrictions, they are now not carrying the chemical.
Also, he says, the alliances who have vessel service from Chittagong to Bangladesh's main export destinations for hydrogen peroxide maintain Singapore as their main transshipment point.
"One cannot reroute containers of Karachi or Cambodia through Port Klang or Colombo since there is no shipping service from there to the destinations," Mr Rubayat adds.
Commerce secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, who presided over the meeting, could not be reached for a comment despite repeated try.
