CARGO handling problems at Durban port, caused initially by the implementation of a new computer system, have now escalated into a full-blown crisis, the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned on Thursday. Calling for urgent government intervention, it said the crisis is causing severe repercussions for businesses involved in importing and exporting, thus jeopardising international trade. “The chaos at the port now constitutes a threat to our reputation as a reliable international supplier and damages our credibility in hard-won markets overseas,” said JCCI chief executive Marius de Jager. “Fresh produce and meat shipments are rotting each day before they reach their destinations, orders are being cancelled, late delivery penalties are being implemented, manufacturing processes are coming to a halt as imported inputs are delayed,” de Jager said.