Fish imports from India through Benapole have come to a complete halt due to increased customs valuation and newly imposed conditions, leading to growing tensions between importers and customs authorities. The suspension began on Saturday, August 9, following disputes over revised valuation rates and mandatory product composition requirements for imported consignments.

Importers allege that customs officials have set the taxable value of imported fish at rates significantly higher than those determined by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). According to NBR directives, the customs value for marine fish should be calculated at USD 0.50 per kilogram. However, customs have revalued perishable marine fish at USD 0.75 per kilogram, resulting in an additional tax burden of around 20 Bangladeshi taka per kilogram. This, importers claim, increases the total cost per shipment by several hundred thousand taka.

While the valuation of imported freshwater fish remains unchanged at USD 1.50 per kilogram, customs have introduced a new condition requiring that each consignment contain 80% freshwater fish and 20% marine fish. Importers strongly oppose this directive, arguing that such a ratio is impractical and would lead to substantial financial losses on every truckload.

Before the suspension, Benapole handled an average of 10 to 16 truckloads of various fish daily, generating over one crore taka in government revenue. With the halt in imports, customs are now losing approximately the same amount of revenue every day. The port has not received a single truck of fish since the suspension began.

Nasir Uddin, owner of Dhaka-based Sazzad Enterprise, said the combined effect of higher tariffs and what he called “unreasonable” conditions has placed importers in a severe financial crisis. He reported that import costs have risen by nearly 25% compared to earlier rates. Nasir warned that unless customs withdraws the new measures, importers will be forced to permanently suspend fish imports through Benapole.

Customs officials, however, maintain that there is no restriction on fish imports, provided that importers comply with the new ratio of freshwater to marine fish. Benapole Customs Deputy Commissioner Mirza Rafeza Sultana explained that the rule aims to maintain order in the import process. She claimed that discrepancies had been found in shipment data over the past six months, including irregularities in recent weeks, leading to penalties for certain importers. She assured that legitimate importers would continue to receive full cooperation from customs authorities.

According to customs records, fish imports through Benapole in the 2023–24 fiscal year amounted to 43,493 metric tonnes. In contrast, only 17,118 metric tonnes have been imported in the 2024–25 fiscal year so far. Customs officials attribute the decline not only to increased customs valuation but also to foreign currency shortages that have hindered timely issuance of Letters of Credit (LCs).

The ongoing standoff has raised concerns among traders and consumers alike, with potential implications for the availability and pricing of fish in domestic markets if the dispute remains unresolved.