Shipping costs skyrocket, exporters feel the heat

Of course, analysts partly attribute the higher September shipments to exporters rushing to honour earlier commitments upon the gradual lifting of lockdown curbs since June. Ahead of the crucial Christmas season, shipping costs have skyrocketed since August, compounding woes of exporters already grappling with a string of adversities this year — from a Covid-induced cancellation of orders and exodus of migrant labourers to a drastic cut in government benefits.