Category Archives: Shipping

Maersk Line has announced the deployment of Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) to enable paperless trade between India and Nepal. Steve Felder, Managing Director, Maersk Line (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives), said, “This is a continuation of Maersk line’s focus on digitisation to enable paperless trade across the globe. Addressing our customer needs is paramount and this system will tremendously aid in this process. We will continue to focus on creating a climate of ease of doing business to ensure seamless trade in the region through our integrated logistical offerings.” ML is the first liner to adopt this paperless mode of trade facilitated by Asian Development Bank and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) against the conventional one-time bottle seal. This is also the first time it has been at done at Indian port transshipping to other countries such as Nepal thus getting rid of documentation hurdles.

With port modernisation and expansion of capacities urging to meet emerging demand, it is essential that the port management and port staff are equipped with latest knowledge and technical advances for meeting the new challenges. JNPT organised a seminar on ‘Dredging Strategy and Technology for Ports’ at JNPT Antwerp Port Training and Consultancy Foundation Training centre. Officials from Mumbai Port, V.O. Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Haldia Dock Complex, Paradip, JNPT, Cochin, Chennai, Deendayal Port took part in the five days seminar. Stefaan Jozef Ides, a trainer from Belgian Port, conducted the training workshop. The aim of the workshop was to take an overview of the modern dredging techniques and their application to create new port infrastructure and maintain port access using the best available dredging technologies and strategies.

Maersk Line has successfully moved the largest ever break-bulk cargo at 103 ft in length and weighing over 16 tonnes from Krishnapatnam to Tianjin, China. The break-bulk cargo consisting of windmill blade was moved on its weekly service, Chennai Express, using 13 flat racks. The delicate shipment of windmill blade, meant for wind farms, was a time bound cargo and had to be loaded on to an earliest available vessel. Steve Felder, Managing Director, Maersk Line (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives), said, “There was seamless co-ordination between our team, the customer and the terminal operator to overcome infrastructure challenges and help deliver this delicate and expensive cargo to China.”

The government has done away with licensing requirement for ships chartered by citizens of India or a company incorporated in India or a cooperative society registered in India for transportation of EXIM containers for transshipment purposes. Welcoming the decision, Maersk has said that it will bring greater competition to the feeder market. Julian Bevis, Senior Director, Group Relations, Maersk South Asia, said, “The announcement made by the Ministry of Shipping to relax the Indian cabotage law enables global shipping lines to carry EXIM containers along India’s coast. This will bring greater competition to the feeder market which in turn would benefit local importers and exporters. Indian ports would also benefit as this positive change would allow them to compete for container traffic currently handled in adjacent regional hub ports. Maersk acknowledges the effort made by the Indian government to bring a constructive end to an issue that has been the subject of discussion for many years in India. We believe, that the change is a clear evidence of India’s resolve to bring reform to its logistics sector and thereby, enhance its ease of doing business and cost competitiveness ratings.”

Safmarine will be delivering 80 Cryogenic tanks for Cryolor Asia Pacific from India to Charleston, USA, by December, 2018. The company will be working on a behemoth project for Cryolor Asia Pacific. Low availability of low bed trucks along with the height of rail over bridges has been a constant challenge in the smooth flow of OOG shipments via the Kattupalli port in Chennai. To overcome this, Safmarine undertook a feasibility study to determine the best possible route to facilitate smooth flow of the OOG shipment. The detailed study enabled the team of experts at Safmarine to successfully overcome the infrastructure hindrances posed by rail over bridges to transport OOG shipments from the port. Safmarine also sourced requisite low bed trucks for this movement. Bimal Kanal, Managing Director, Safmarine India, said, “With an advantageous shorter transit time our customers can look forward to new levels of improvement in their entire supply chain.”

APM Terminals Pipavav has developed an online version of Form 13 (gate-in permits issued by terminals) required for each import/export container. Known as e-form 13, it will save close to three million kilometers of road trips and their associated carbon emissions each year. For customer this translates into time savings and fuel cost savings. With many of these kilometers often covered by couriers on motorbikes this also means significantly less risk of fatal road traffic accidents. The new paperless system will also save millions of sheets of waste paper per year and speed up the processing. Previously at APM Terminals Pipavav, shipping lines would collect multiple documents to issue completed Form 13 for each import/export container. The truck arrived at the pre-gate waiting area and handed over the documents required to obtain Form 13 to Gate In the container. The Customs House Agent then took the documents on a 14 km round trip to the shipping line’s office to submit the documentation, while wait for a manual Form 13. Once the trucker had Form 13, the details had to be entered in Terminal Operating System by a pre-gate clerk, after which they could enter the terminal.

Agility has signed an agreement with Cold Box Express to offer innovative shipping solutions for temperature-sensitive cargo. Cold Box offers an active temperature-control pallet shipper, designed for mixed-load ground transportation. The shipper is a pallet-sized interior compartment with precise temperature control and range, extended hold times, and 24×7 near-real-time tracking and monitoring. Satish Lakkaraju, Chief Commercial Officer, Agility India, said, “We believe in offering unique, cost-effective solutions that can help customers achieve a more secure cold chain. In the Indian market, where temperatures rise to over 45°C, moving temperature-sensitive cargo can be a challenge. Cold Box’s solution is easy to handle, and perfectly suited to our customer needs.” Under the terms of the partnership, Agility will test one Cold Box as part of a pilot to move cargo for pharmaceutical customers in India. The device will be used for LCL reefer shipments, as well as to move pharmaceutical products to difficult-to-reach locations, areas prone to power cuts, and for last-mile delivery.

APM Terminals Mumbai has announced a new value added service designed to accelerate and improve turnaround time of freight arriving at the terminal. Titled as Vehicle Booking System (VBS), the service entails the terminal allocating fixed time slots to each Container Freight Station (CFS) every day, whereby the CFS is encouraged to collect its consignment during the time allocated. Once the CFS’ trailers reach the Y-junction at the port complex during the allotted slot, they can approach the terminal through the empty TT lane. The trailers thus skip traffic and enter the yard in a short time. Additionally, the terminal also allocates a dedicated equipment at the yard block for serving these trucks once inside the yard. With CFSs sending their trailers only during allocated slots, the terminal is able to efficiently handle import evacuations avoiding traffic congestion outside its gates. Shedding light on the project, Ravi Gaitonde, COO, APM Terminals Mumbai, said, “We are constantly investing in improving our offerings to customers and expect Vehicle Booking System to do just that.” Pioneered and piloted by APM Terminals Mumbai, initially in November 2017, VBS has helped the terminal improve efficiency and overall truck turn-around by 16 per cent. Sadanand Salian, VP, Allcargo Logistics, said, “GTI has executed a splendid job by implementing the VBS, and together we were able to reduce our truck turn-around time at the terminal by around 40 per cent post implementation.”

DP World and the government of Jammu and Kashmir have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities to develop trade infrastructure in the Indian state. The agreement will see discussions on a multi-modal logistics park and hub in Jammu, comprising warehouses and specialised storage solutions that will also encourage intermodal transfer of containers, bulk and break-bulk cargo. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO, DP World Group, said: “Opening up the Indian hinterland through new infrastructure and facilities is one of the ways through which the Indian economy will continue to grow, and we are delighted to enter into these discussions with representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir government. India has vast economic potential and unlocking it will provide new trade opportunities.”

The 4,051 TEU XIN NAN TONG, part of COSCO Shipping Lines, on COSCO’s CI1 service had its maiden call at APM Terminals Mumbai on February 12, adding another important Far East service to India’s importers and exporters. Far East trade services comprise 62 per cent of the terminal’s throughput. Deployed mainly to serve the Far East trade with India, the CI1 service will enhance India’s regional market by calling on key ports such as Pipavav, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Nansha, Singapore and Penang. The service consists of five COSCO vessels and one from Wan Hai Shipping Line. APM Terminals Mumbai COO Ravi Gaitonde welcomed the vessel stating, “This new port call adds another choice for our customers shipping to and from the Far East. More choices create stronger supply chains and business growth – so we look forward to working closely with COSCO and Wan Hai to deliver operational excellence.”