The nation’s foreign exchange-earning export industry faces significant risks due to ongoing congestion and cargo delays at Bridgetown Port, customs brokers have warned.The situation has led to ships bypassing the island, potentially causing weeks-long delays for exporters and jeopardising the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.The head of the Barbados Customs Brokers and Clerks Association (BCBCA), Louis Forde, insisted that while there is talk surrounding imports, the real concern should be the impact on exports.“The exports are being affected by the fact that sometimes the ships have to bypass here and not have time to dock. So, sometimes you have a shipment that is due to leave this week, and the ship isn’t coming anymore, and you have to wait two, three, four weeks. So, the exports are really being affected by this issue. I think that is the real crushing matter to me,” Forde told Barbados TODAY.“Everybody is talking about the imports, but the exports…and we already don’t have the most shipping lines dealing with Barbados going to a lot of the outlying destinations. So, when you miss a ship now that you want to send something to Dubai, you probably have to wait three weeks before it comes again. To my mind, that is the most pressing matter on my side.”The customs brokers’ spokesman said it also means clearing the port as well because empty containers which are stacked up in the port have to be used to be sent out. Equally problematic, he added, is the fact that the empties, having already missed the boat, are stacked up in port much longer than normal.“Well, I have had ships that were scheduled that didn’t come. You are seeing a lot where ships are about to come and then they are not coming or they are delayed again. This has been happening over the last couple of months now, or more than a couple months now,” Forde said.