The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has called for immediate sanctions against shipping lines that continue to charge above the approved Container Administrative Charge (CAC) despite a court ruling.
In a statement signed by Executive Secretary, Samson Asaki Awingobit, the Association expressed “grave concern” over the refusal of some operators to comply with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) directive capping the CAC at GH¢720 per Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU).
The IEAG cited a High Court ruling on July 10, 2026, which dismissed an application by the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG) to block the GSA directive issued on May 11, 2026.
“The Court unequivocally affirmed that the Directive had already taken effect upon issuance and remains valid, operational, and fully enforceable,” the statement said.
Despite this, the IEAG said evidence showed some lines were still imposing excessive fees. It pointed to Pacific International Lines (PIL) which allegedly charged GH¢4,000 as a Container Release Order fee on a single 40-foot container and MSC Ghana Limited which charged GH¢3,870.46 as an Administrative Import Fee for a 40HC container.
“These amounts are more than five times the approved Container Administrative Charge of GH¢720 per Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) and constitute a clear violation,” the Association stated.
IEAG described the actions as “economic sabotage and a deliberate attempt to undermine the regulatory authority of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and the judicial authority of the Republic of Ghana.”
“For far too long, shipping lines operating in Ghana have acted with impunity, exhibiting little regard for the laws and regulations governing the commercial shipping industry,” it added.
The Association therefore called on the GSA to invoke Section 47 of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122) and immediately: institute enforcement proceedings, apply to the High Court, impose sanctions, order refunds of excess amounts collected and “publish the names of all non-compliant shipping lines in the interest of transparency and accountability.”
“The Authority cannot afford to remain silent while regulated entities openly defy its directives,” IEAG warned, adding that failure to act “will send a dangerous signal that regulatory directives in Ghana can be ignored without consequence.”
The group further cautioned that if urgent enforcement was not taken, it will consider “industrial actions and the possible suspension of activities at the ports to register our displeasure.”
“No company or institution, irrespective of its size or international standing, is above the laws of the Republic of Ghana,” the statement concluded.
“The time for dialogue has passed. The time for enforcement is now,” it averred.
