Synopsis Freight charges have skyrocketed and freight forwarders to the West Coast are also declining to book cargo due to severe scarcity of containers, exporters said. iStock Freight forwarders said the delay to get space and container is at least 10-15 days and planning has gone for a toss. KOLKATA: A shortage of containers and increased freight charges are adversely affecting exports from Kolkata causing apprehensions of huge financial and business loss, exporters said on Tuesday. The crisis of vessel space and containers is nationwide but the situation is worse in Kolkata, they said. "Availability of containers is less than half of the demand causing disruptions in exports and delivery schedule has gone haywire. Predictability of availability of container and freight rates is not there anymore. Freight rates have jumped 2-3 times of the pre-Covid levels," Federation of Indian Export Organisations(FIEO) chairman-east, Sushil Patwari told .