Container Barrier to Mining Exports

The mining industry, which broke a record in the history of the republic with its exports of 5,93 billion dollars last year, is faced with the problem of demanding the cost of damage incurred in the containers during transportation, as well as the supply of containers. Companies whose products are kept in ports for months due to damage inspection have to pay compensation for products that cannot be delivered on time. Stating that they are working to solve the problem, TİM Mining Sector Board Chairman and IMIB Chairman of the Board Aydın Dinçer said, “Even though we stated that we loaded block marble while renting the containers, old and inadequate containers are allocated to us. We started to receive support from lawyers who are experts in the field of maritime, for the unfair penalties that our companies are asked to pay.”

Stating that the mining sector carries out its current exports mostly by sea, TİM Mining Sector Board Chairman and IMIB Chairman of the Board Aydın Dinçer stated that they encountered container supply difficulties and container damage problems within the scope of these activities. Emphasizing that the sector's exports were also damaged due to the difficulties they encountered in finding containers, Aydın Dinçer said, “More importantly, our block marble exporting companies, which have dominance in the world market, are faced with container problems that are not caused by them, especially in recent years. Our companies are held directly responsible for the damage to the containers due to various negligence and faulty movements during the transportation activity. Most of the time, they face claims for compensation that exceeds even the zero market value of a container many times over.”

Carrier companies have to pay due attention to the load.

Aydın Dinçer pointed out that the companies that own the container line are obliged to supply containers suitable for the characteristics and weights of the cargoes belonging to the exporting companies and to pay due attention to the cargo within the scope of the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC 72), and said, “Our exporting companies are in line with the Incoterms rules published by ICC. It exports goods by FOB delivery method. Therefore, the damage to the cargo and the container in which the cargo is in, after passing over the side of the ship, is on the carrier.”

“This type of savings that creates victimization wears out our companies”

According to the Turkish Commercial Code; Emphasizing that the carrier is responsible for the damage to the container and the cargo buyer serving at the port is responsible for the damage caused by the faulty operation at the transfer port, Aydın Dinçer said, “We find it wrong to directly demand it from our exporting companies without determining the real person responsible for the damage that occurred in the container. In addition, leaving the cargo at the transshipment port, demanding exorbitant prices under the name of container repair, and thus preventing the delivery of the cargo to the buyer also hinders exports. This type of savings, which creates irreversible grievances, is very wearisome for our exporting companies.

Products are kept at the port for months for survey reasons.

Aydın Dinçer said that a survey (inspection) was requested by the carrier companies on the grounds that there was damage in the block marble containers sent by the companies and that all the cargo was kept at the transfer port, adding, “The goods of the companies are sometimes kept at the port for months, saying that a survey will be made. This delay causes customers to lose their trust in our companies and to cancel their further orders. In addition, our companies are forced to pay exorbitant fines due to waiting and the cost of damage to be reflected to their parties. We do not accept these unfair practices and payment requests.”

“Deprecated containers are deliberately put into circulation”

Aydın Dinçer pointed out that they are trying to renew the containers through our companies by deliberately circulating the welded containers that have completed their useful life, and said, “Containers that have undergone this type of welding process should not be given to heavy cargo transportation. Our companies are held responsible when old welded containers are damaged.” Dinçer also stated that they started working to solve the problem and said, “We will share the road map we have prepared recently with our companies. Although we specifically state that we load natural stone blocks while renting the containers, we are given old and low-strength containers. We have started to receive support from lawyers who are experts in the field of maritime for the penalties that our companies are asked to pay, and we will demand to take back the unjustly made collections.”