The new container port of Caucedo near Boca Chica is facing the threat of a boycott by shippers because of the high fees being charged for the use of port facilities. Mario Mendez, writing for the economic section of Hoy newspaper, says that the price structure for the Caucedo operation has caused irritation among the business community, and sources who confided to Mendez said that many importers have considered making a request to their suppliers that the merchandise not be shipped if due to offload at Caucedo. The high rates for the use of the terminal facilities, according to one source, make it impossible to continue doing business there.
One of the complaints of the importers is that they often contract merchandise to be offloaded at Haina Oriental, only to discover that it has been offloaded at Caucedo instead, which greatly increases their costs of operation. The businesspeople consulted said they would have to consider a boycott of the shipping lines that use Caucedo. One of the specific complaints was that the port of Caucedo, whose rates are as much as three times those of other ports, insists on charging these steep tariffs even though it receives special consideration as a duty-free zone, as reported in Hoy.
A possible explanation for the situation is contained in a small article, also written by Mario Mendez, in which he reports that costs generally associated with shipping lines are now being charged to the clients of the Caucedo facility. After interviewing Luis Sanchez Diaz, Mendez says that the Caucedo officials are relieving the shipping companies of the costs of handling the cargoes and transferring these costs to the importers. This is why the cost of clearing customs at Caucedo is significantly higher than at Haina Oriental. According to Sanchez Diaz, the computerization of the customs processes at Caucedo has not freed the importer from the hassle of the time-consuming personal appearances required at every step of the clearance.