By Belize Live News Staff: Belizean Queen Freight Services is sounding the alarm over what it calls “extremely frustrating” delays at the Port of Belize, leaving shipments, including urgently needed school supplies, stuck in limbo.
In an update issued Friday, the company outlined strict new rules:
Bulk/Commercial/IM4 Declarations: Cargo will not be shipped if customers fail to provide supporting purchase invoices at the time of shipment.
Duty Exemptions: Customers must present original exemption letters before shipment, or their cargo will either not be sent or will arrive with duties pending.
The company says these regulations, combined with a “very slow release process” at the Port, are choking operations. According to management, containers from July 28 and August 4 are still being held at the port, weeks after arrival.
“It’s yet another Friday, and our shipments remain stuck,” the company noted. “The lack of concern and lack of urgency is extremely unprofessional and stifling on every level. If those in charge are unaware, school resumes soon. These supplies are needed countrywide.”
The company is now calling on the “governing heads” to urgently step in and resolve the backlog, emphasizing that halting operations every Friday is crippling commerce.
