The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has welcomed a decisive High Court ruling that clears the way for the strict regulation of shipping costs at the nation’s ports.
The court dismissed an interlocutory injunction application filed by the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG) and several shipping lines.
The application had sought to block the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) from enforcing its May 11, 2026, Regulatory Directive, which caps the Container Administrative Charge (CAC) at GH¢720 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU).
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For years, Ghanaian businesses have voiced frustration over exorbitant container fees, pointing to them as a major driver of high business costs, domestic inflation, and reduced port competitiveness.
The High Court’s ruling on Friday, July 10, affirmed that the GSA’s directive remains fully valid, operational, and legally binding.
In a swift reaction, IEAG Executive Secretary Samson Asaki Awingobit issued a statement urging the GSA and the Ministry of Transport to implement the directive immediately and without bias.
Furthermore, the association is demanding that the GSA compel shipping lines to account for and refund all excess administrative fees collected from local traders since the directive originally went into effect in May.
The Importers and Exporters Association warned that letting shipping lines retain unapproved fees collected during the court dispute would undermine public trust and reward regulatory defiance at the expense of local businesses.
3news