• Container freight charges also high  
• The international supply had been hit by the pandemic leading to a price hike of essential items such as dhal and sugar
• More than 600 containers with all kinds of essential food items  remained at the port unable to be released due to lack of US dollars in  the banking system to make payments

By Kelum Bandara  

The world market prices of imported essential items and container freight charges have increased, importers said.  

 President of the Essential Commodities Importers and Traders Association G. Gajendran told Daily Mirror that freight charge from Australia to Sri Lanka had increased from US $ 1,200 to US $ 3,000 for a container. He quoted this as an example.  

He said the international supply had been hit by the pandemic leading to a price hike of essential items such as dhal and sugar.  

According to him, the price of dhal (whole lentil) remained at around US $ 400 a tonne last year during this time, and it had increased to US $ 980 a tonne at the moment.  

“Sugar price is as high as US $ 530 a tonne in the world market and Sri Lanka imports dhal from Australia and Canada, and sugar from India,” he said.  

However, Mr. Rajendran said the prices of spices remained more or less the same.  
Asked about containers of essential items stuck at the port, he said, “We hope we will receive the required US dollars by tomorrow to get them released,”  

He said more than 600 containers with all kinds of essential food items remained at the port unable to be released due to lack of US dollars in the banking system to make payments.