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NSC Puts MSC on Notice: Suspend New Tariff Now or Face Consequences — Shippers’ Council Issues Formal Order Ahead of Stakeholders’ Meeting
NSC Puts MSC on Notice: Suspend New Tariff Now or Face Consequences — Shippers’ Council Issues Formal Order Ahead of Stakeholders’ Meeting
By Raymond Gold, Co-Publisher and Research Reporter, Waterways News | www.waterwaysnews.ng
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has moved decisively against Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), issuing a formal directive ordering the global shipping giant to immediately suspend its newly introduced tariff regime, as tensions in Nigeria’s maritime sector continue to intensify over the controversial charges.
In a strongly worded letter dated March 23, 2026 — referenced MSC/RSD/M4/044/VOL/124 and titled “Re: Suspension of Tariff Approval” — the Council instructed MSC to comply with an earlier directive halting the tariff increase, signalling that the matter has escalated to a critical regulatory flashpoint.
The letter was signed by Margaret Ogbonnah, Director of the Regulatory Services Department, on behalf of the Council’s Executive Secretary and CEO, Pius Akutah, and was addressed directly to MSC’s Managing Director.
The NSC made its position unambiguous: MSC must maintain the existing tariff structure until the Council convenes a dedicated stakeholders’ meeting to examine the proposed charges and their full implications for Nigerian port users.
“The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has formally requested your organisation to abide with the current tariff suspension until NSC organises a stakeholders’ meeting soonest,” the letter stated.
The directive underscores growing pressure on international shipping lines operating in Nigerian waters, as regulators move to assert greater oversight over freight pricing at a time when port users are already grappling with rising logistics costs. The stakeholders’ meeting, which the NSC says will be convened “soonest,” is expected to bring together shippers, freight forwarders, and industry operators to weigh in on the disputed tariff before any implementation is approved.
MSC, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, has yet to publicly respond to the Council’s order.