I am dispuiting with my customer's shipping line branch (Zim intergrate shipping line) about losing about 09 ontop steel bar of container 40' open top.

When the vessel arrive the destination port, I required my forwarder to implement the procedures such as: custom clearance, releasing container and trucking the container from the CY to the Job site. However when my forwarder returned the container 40' open top. The shipping agent did not refund him the deposit fee for container with a reason that the ontop steel bar of container OT is shortage. They said that there are 19 steel bars into container OT and now they count 10 steel bars only. It means that my forwarder lost about 09 bars. However when I opened container at the job site I could see only 10 bars. It's unfair for me now because the shipping line did not get a hand over document with my forwarder about the quantity of steel bar into container OT. And they penalty me to pay the conpensated fee for lost steel bar: 50USD/ bar

Could you let me know It is the popular compensated fee for lost steel bar of shipping lines? What do they base on bring out this lever fee? The level fee is 50USD/ bar is too high?

My forwarder can not count the quantity of steel bar at the CY because the container is sealed and covered by canvas. So I can not know whether there is 19 bars into container 40' OT is true or untrue? How can I solve the unreasonable claims from shipping line?

Please give me the best solution in order to I must not pay this compesative fee for shipping line.

Thank you so much