Detention fees force importers to abandon luxury cars

21 July 2026 10:50 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 9 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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Colombo, July 21 (Daily Mirror) - Around 1,000 imported luxury vehicles are being abandoned at the Hambantota Port because importers cannot afford the high detention fees charged to release them, Sri Lanka Customs officials said.

He said nearly 40,000 imported vehicles are currently parked at the port. Many have remained there due to disruptions in re-export operations and the conflict in the Middle East, which has affected shipping to destinations such as Dubai. Vehicles brought in for re-export are also facing the same detention fee problem.

The Customs official said a local importer recently tried to release a luxury vehicle worth about Rs. 20 million that had been parked at the port for nearly six years. However, he was told he had to pay almost Rs. 50 million in detention charges.

This increased the total cost of the vehicle to nearly Rs. 70 million, more than three times its original value.

The official said the importer decided not to release the vehicle after learning about the charges.

Official said many importers are making similar decisions, leaving hundreds of luxury vehicles abandoned at the port as detention fees continue to rise.

Comments - 9

Sanath Tuesday, 21 July 2026 06:34 AM

This is really stupid. Better to release on a payment of a reasonable fee.

8 11

Periyalingam Tuesday, 21 July 2026 09:40 AM

How many thousands of poor women need to be exported to earn this foreign exchange?

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Ed Rowlands Tuesday, 21 July 2026 06:35 AM

What is the solution? Are these vehicles going to rust away in this environment? To recover costs they should be auctioned.

2 15

Jude Fernando Tuesday, 21 July 2026 07:10 AM

Seems that many decision makers have lost the ability to use their brains to think or to analyse.

1 24

nizam Tuesday, 21 July 2026 09:52 AM

With no experience in governance and trade these are the consequences, now it is the greed to get as much to cover the errors of the past fifteen months whilst those who expected the Vitsz at Two million are kept waiting

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Sharmi Tuesday, 21 July 2026 07:23 AM

Total waste of our forex reserves.

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BuffaloaCitizen Tuesday, 21 July 2026 07:58 AM

If goods are abandoned by importers, the next stage for government is not to look up like apes and wait. Give notice to importer to remove vehicle or face auction of the vehicle. Auctioned vehicle needs to be removed within 3 working days after purchase following standard regulations.

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melville perera Tuesday, 21 July 2026 08:02 AM

I do not know why it is called detention fees earlier customs referred to it as demurrage chares to be paid by the owner before release If the owners have the money to import such vehicles and refusing to pay detention fees the customs should put them up for auction claiming the detention fees and allied charges from the successful bidder if not the foreign exchange involved/ wasted (govt. funds) should be claimed from all involved by the central bank the sole authority releasing such funds

46 10

Pol Buruwa Tuesday, 21 July 2026 10:45 AM

Who wants to take a vehicle parked for 6 years without clearance? Must be a bloody idiot.

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