Freight flat rate 'could help Jersey's consumers'
A new flat rate of freight into Jersey could help consumers with costs in the long-term, the head of a group representing consumers says.
Jersey's government requested that new ferry provider DFDS introduced a flat rate of freight, meaning every freight provider pays the same per meter of space they take up on a ship for goods they bring in.
The flat rate will come in when DFDS takes over ferry services at the end of March.
Carl Walker, from the Jersey Consumer Council, said while prices would go up in the short-term, in the long-term they could come down.
Current ferry operator Condor will run ferry services until the end of March and, under it, bigger shipping companies had been able to negotiate better rates because of the amount of business they brought in.
Mr Walker said: "A flat rate means every freight provider will now pay the same per meter of space they take up on the boat for the goods they bring in.
"Until now, the more you brought in, the better deal you could strike with Condor.
"DFDS have been told they must charge the same for everybody - big or small.
"For too long there has been a cloud of mystery of how much things cost to bring in and, finally, now we can see that and there will be a complete level playing field."
Mr Walker said there would be an impact on the cost of food.
He said: "In the long-term, things would become cheaper.
"But, initially, we are expecting a price rise; the government are predicting a 0.4% increase in price rises.
"Some retailers have said to me privately they think it might be more. It all depends on how much... freight providers pass on."
In the States Assembly, politicians criticised Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel and argued freight charges under DFDS would be more expensive.
Deputy Karen Wilson, who is part of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel said: "I think in this situation what we need to understand is what's the reason for the increase in the rate and whether there will be future increases that will actually be anti-competitive and impact business and travellers alike."
Morel said: "Both bidders came with more expensive pricing for freight and there is little difference between their pricing.
"So, regardless of whether we went with DFDS or Brittany Ferries, the price of freight was going to rise, and this year Condor put the price of freight up for the last three months."
Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
DFDS offers 'transparent' flat rate freight price
Islanders react to Jersey's ferry decision
Jersey Consumer Council
Government of Jersey
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
‘Popular' bobbleheads of Gov. McMaster benefit SC parks. They're a Statehouse exclusive.
Bobbleheads of Gov. Henry McMaster in the Statehouse gift shop on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (Photo by Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA — If Gov. Henry McMaster isn't in his Statehouse office, try a few doors down the hall. Sitting among the snow globes, notebooks and T-shirts in the Statehouse gift shop is a bobblehead version of McMaster, wearing a dark blue suit and red tie, with his arms crossed over his chest and a big plastic smile beaming out at gift shop visitors. The base reads, 'Henry McMaster, 117th Governor of South Carolina.' This is the first time staff of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, which runs the gift shop, are aware of a novelty item featuring the likeness of a governor being sold at the Statehouse, said agency spokeswoman Sam Queen. And they're exclusive to that store. The idea for the bobblehead came from a conversation between the agency's director, Duane Parrish, and the governor's chief of staff, Trey Walker. The two got to talking about how people collect coins, Beanie Babies and baseball cards, and Walker wondered out loud whether a bobblehead of the governor might turn into a collectible of its own, he said. 'It seemed like a neat, novel thing they didn't have in the gift shop,' Walker said. Parrish agreed to the idea, thinking the bobblehead 'would be a unique item to offer,' Queen said. The figurine officially hit shelves May 20, about two weeks after the 2025 legislative session officially ended. As of Thursday, the gift shop had sold 28 of the 150 bobbleheads it ordered, despite less foot traffic from lobbyists and legislators, Queen said. 'It's been a popular item in the short time it's been available,' she said. The design was approved by the governor's office. When McMaster first saw the finished product, he liked it so much he brought one back to the Governor's Mansion and showed it off during a gathering that night, Walker said. On Thursday, McMaster told reporters he found the take on himself 'interesting,' adding he might buy a couple for his grandchildren. His only concern is the $50 price tag, which the Republican governor said seems a bit steep. 'Fifty dollars for those things — that was a surprise to me,' McMaster said. None of the money goes to him or his office. The price is a matter of limited supply, Queen said. About 12% of the bobblehead's cost will support the gift store's operations. The novelty and scarcity of it will hopefully drive more people into the store to shop, she added. All proceeds from Statehouse gift shop sales support operations for the parks department. More than 40% of the agency's budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 comes from self-generated revenue, including store sales, park entry fees and camping fees. 'It brings a smile and brings in a little bit of money for the state, so that's a good thing,' Walker said. McMaster is the longest-serving elected governor in South Carolina's history. The former lieutenant governor ascended to the job in January 2017, when Nikki Haley became President Donald Trump's first United Nations ambassador. That gave McMaster two years in office before his first inauguration. He can't seek another term.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
US, Chinese officials exchange barbs at Shanghai event over trade
By Casey Hall SHANGHAI (Reuters) -U.S. and Chinese officials traded barbs at a celebration held by a U.S. business chamber in Shanghai on Friday, as the chamber appealed to both countries to provide more certainty to American businesses operating in China. Scott Walker, consul general of U.S. consulate in Shanghai, told a gathering of U.S. businesses aimed at celebrating the 110th anniversary of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai that the U.S.-China economic relationship had been unbalanced and non-reciprocal "for far too long." "We want an end to discriminatory actions and retaliation against U.S. companies in China," he said. In a speech that directly followed Walker's, Chen Jing, a Shanghai Communist Party official who is also the president of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, countered Walker's view. "I believe the consul general's view is prejudiced, ungrounded and not aligning with the phone call of our heads of states last night," he said. The interaction reflects the continued strained relationship between both countries as the trade war continues to simmer. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke over a long anticipated call on Thursday, confronting weeks of brewing trade tensions and a battle over critical minerals. Trump later said they agreed to further talks. It came in the middle of a dispute between Washington and Beijing in recent weeks over "rare earths" minerals that threatened to tear up a fragile truce in the trade war between the two biggest economies. The countries struck a 90-day deal on May 12 to roll back some of the triple-digit, tit-for-tat tariffs they had placed on each other since Trump's January inauguration but the deal has not addressed broader concerns that strain the relationship and Trump has accused China of violating the agreement. Eric Zheng, president of AmCham Shanghai which counts over 1,000 companies among its membership, told reporters on the sidelines of the event that many companies had put their decision-making on pause due to the uncertainty. "People are looking for some more definitive, durable statements on both sides that enable businesses to feel more secure," he said. "Our number one ask from the two governments is to give us some certainty so that we can plan accordingly." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
US, Chinese officials exchange barbs at Shanghai event over trade
By Casey Hall SHANGHAI (Reuters) -U.S. and Chinese officials traded barbs at a celebration held by a U.S. business chamber in Shanghai on Friday, as the chamber appealed to both countries to provide more certainty to American businesses operating in China. Scott Walker, consul general of U.S. consulate in Shanghai, told a gathering of U.S. businesses aimed at celebrating the 110th anniversary of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai that the U.S.-China economic relationship had been unbalanced and non-reciprocal "for far too long." "We want an end to discriminatory actions and retaliation against U.S. companies in China," he said. In a speech that directly followed Walker's, Chen Jing, a Shanghai Communist Party official who is also the president of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, countered Walker's view. "I believe the consul general's view is prejudiced, ungrounded and not aligning with the phone call of our heads of states last night," he said. The interaction reflects the continued strained relationship between both countries as the trade war continues to simmer. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke over a long anticipated call on Thursday, confronting weeks of brewing trade tensions and a battle over critical minerals. Trump later said they agreed to further talks. It came in the middle of a dispute between Washington and Beijing in recent weeks over "rare earths" minerals that threatened to tear up a fragile truce in the trade war between the two biggest economies. The countries struck a 90-day deal on May 12 to roll back some of the triple-digit, tit-for-tat tariffs they had placed on each other since Trump's January inauguration but the deal has not addressed broader concerns that strain the relationship and Trump has accused China of violating the agreement. Eric Zheng, president of AmCham Shanghai which counts over 1,000 companies among its membership, told reporters on the sidelines of the event that many companies had put their decision-making on pause due to the uncertainty. "People are looking for some more definitive, durable statements on both sides that enable businesses to feel more secure," he said. "Our number one ask from the two governments is to give us some certainty so that we can plan accordingly." Sign in to access your portfolio
