Shippers’ Council Orders Tariff Rollback As Port Dispute Escalates

Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigeria’s port regulator, has ordered shipping companies to reverse recently implemented tariff increases, escalating a standoff that has already disrupted operations at key terminals in Lagos.

“Accordingly, all affected operators are mandated to revert to, and apply strictly, the tariff regime that was in force immediately before the said increase,” the council wrote on Friday, warning that any deviation would be treated as a breach of regulatory compliance and will attract appropriate sanctions “in line with extant laws and regulations.”

The directive follows protests by freight forwarders who picketed the offices of major shipping lines, including Mediterranean Shipping Company, Pacific International Lines and Lagos and Niger Shipping Agencies this week, over what they described as arbitrary and excessive charges.

The protesters, drawn from major associations including the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents and the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders, blocked access to company premises and displayed placards accusing shipping lines of “killing Nigerians” with rising costs.

The action follows the implementation of revised tariffs earlier this month, with some operators confirming that new rates took effect from March 1 after months of regulatory engagement.

Freight forwarders say the increases violate an earlier understanding reached with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in January, when shipping companies were asked to suspend the hikes pending stakeholder consultations. According to industry representatives, no such meeting was held before the new charges were introduced.

Tensions escalated at the protest site when officials of the Shippers’ Council, led by its executive secretary, attempted to mediate but were denied access to the premises by aggrieved agents.

The Council had warned of sanctions for defaulting shipping lines in its initial directive, but had issued none.

It has since urged restraint, warning that industrial action could disrupt port operations and broader economic activity, while insisting that dialogue remains the appropriate channel for resolving disputes.

Shipping companies, however, maintained that the tariff adjustments were neither arbitrary nor sudden. Industry representatives say the increases followed an extensive review process led by the NSC, involving cost submissions, economic assessments and consultations.

Operators argued the new charges reflect mounting cost pressures across the maritime sector, naming exchange rate volatility, inflation, compliance costs and rising port and terminal charges as key drivers. They did not refer to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, indicating that their decisions were reached before the war began.

MSC’s management has also said the approved increase was already lower than what it initially proposed and had been delayed voluntarily before eventual implementation, rejecting claims that the move disregarded regulatory guidance.

Freight forwarders remain unconvinced, describing the charges as excessive and warning that they would drive up cargo clearance costs and feed into consumer prices in an import-dependent economy.