Respite For Importers As Shipping Firm Removes Container Deposit Charges

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has acknowledged the decision of CMA CGM Nigeria Shipping Limited to officially remove the container deposit requirement for all new bookings effective 21st May 2025.

Speaking on the sideline of the 2025 Annual Retreat of the Public Relations Unit of the Council in Lagos, titled, ‘Team building: Strategic Planning: Sharing Ideas To Stay Ahead of Competition,’ the executive secretary of the council, Dr Pius Akutah, the development followed sustained stakeholder engagements and a significant step towards promoting a more efficient, customer-friendly shipping environment in Nigeria.

According to Dr Akutah, the initiative is a milestone in the ongoing efforts to reduce trade barriers, enhance compliance, and boost competitiveness at Nigerian ports.

He stated further that the policy shift would ease the financial burden on shippers, reduce disputes over refunds, and further drive reforms across the maritime sector.

“You know, Container deposit has been one of the major complaints coming from most of our stakeholders. Shippers complaining about the container deposits and the process for reforms. Most times, it’s very cumbersome, and sometimes, they even have to lose the money. So we’ve been on this for some time now. The Minister has directed us to look into that as quickly as possible and see how we can resolve that.

“So we have engaged with the shipping companies. We have engaged with some other companies also who are planning to have an insurance policy to cover that rather than have the deposit.

So we’ve been speaking with most of these shipping companies and for CMA and CGM, we have engaged with them, even privately also, to discuss this issue of container deposits. And they have taken the bulls by the horns to remove this deposit entirely,” Dr Akutah stated.

The Shippers’ Council boss stated further that the removal of the container deposit aligns with industry-wide calls for more transparent and cost-effective practices within the port and logistics value chain.

The Council, however, encouraged other shipping lines operating in Nigeria to adopt similar customer-focused policies in the interest of fairness, transparency, and improved service efficiency

Meanwhile, in a formal communication to the Council, CMA CGM attributed the decision to valuable customer feedback received over the years.

They emphasized that the move is aimed at streamlining operational procedures, simplifying logistics, and improving service delivery.