ASSOCIATION OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT OPERATORS OF INDIA
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WEEKLY UPDATES RELATED TO SHIPPING NEWS
New Mangalore Port handles largest consignment of timber logs
Sept 17, 2012
Exim News Service - Mangalore
THE New Mangalore Port successfully handled its largest consignment of about 22,000 tonnes of timber logs from a single ship.
The vessel—m.v. Niamul Mowla, carrying 19,673 pieces of timber logs weighing around 22,000 tonnes—called at the Port on September 3. It was the largest consignment of timber logs ever received and handled at the Port, highlighted an official release.
The entire consignment was loaded at Yangon in Myanmar for 90 consignees in Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra.
Quoting Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), the release said that the Port is making all efforts to attract traditional cargo such as timber by providing the requisite infrastructure for the smooth handling of such bulk cargo. In 2011-12, the Port had handled 2.96 lakh tonnes of timber logs as against 1.87 lakh tonnes in 2010-11, a growth of 58 per cent.
Referring to the recent visit of a team from the North Malabar Chamber of Commerce, Kannur, the Chairman said the delegation assured the movement of cargo such as timber, edible oil, plywood, textiles and scrap generated from the Malabar region through New Mangalore Port.
Truck rentals hit by drop in lifting of cargo
Sept 17, 2012
Exim News Service - Chennai
TRUCK rentals on trunk routes across India have dipped 3-4 per cent in August, mainly due to a 15- 20 per cent drop in cargo availability across the country. At present, the average waiting period for return load is 4-5 days.
Despite record discounts and soft auto finance schemes on offer, the M&HCV goods segment contracted 10 per cent year-on-year in August, as truck rentals remained soft for the fifth successive month. The LCV goods segment grew at 15.8 per cent in August and 18 per cent year-on-year during the April-August period. Given this trend, the M&HCV goods segment is projected to shrink 9-10 per cent in FY 13 due to the slump in freight availability and decreasing truck rentals.
"The LCV goods segment is likely to grow in the range of 16-17 per cent in FY13," said a research analyst with Prabhudas Liladher.
Transporters increase freight charges
Sept 17, 2012
Exim News Service – New Delhi
The steep hike in diesel price has resulted in truck operators raising freight charges by 15 per cent across the country with immediate effect.
According to an All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) release, truck operators have decided to pass on the burden of the increase to customers as the transport industry was not in a position to absorb the hike.
The release stressed that operators had no other option but to increase charges despite the fact that it would have a cascading effect on the prices of basic items.
The government last week hiked diesel price by a huge Rs 5.62 per litre, the biggest-ever. The previous hike in the price of the fuel was by Rs 3.37 a litre in June 2011.
Bring down cost of credit to boost exports: FIEO
Sept 17, 2012
Exim News Service – New Delhi
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (Fieo) has urged the government to bring down the cost of credit to help exporters compete globally and boost exports.
Reacting to the August export figures, which fell 9.7 per cent to $ 22.3 billion compared to the same month of the previous year, Mr M. Rafeeque Ahmed, President of Fieo, said that the cost of credit was a major concern for the export sector. He stressed that a general reduction in interest rates would benefit manufacturing as well as exports.
Terming the decrease in exports as expected, he attributed it to the contraction in global demand and deceleration in the manufacturing sector.
Mr Ahmed was hopeful of things improving on the export front in October, given that the global situation was slowly limping back to normal. He said the country could achieve the export target of $ 350 billion for the current fiscal.
State govt plans int’l cruise terminal at Mumbai Port
Sept 18, 2012
Exim News Service – Mumbai
THE Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, has said the state government plans to facilitate the setting up of an international cruise terminal at Mumbai Port in order to attract cruise tourists from Europe and the US. Currently, Malaysia and Singapore are the more popular cruise destinations in this region.
Speaking at the recent convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators here, Mr Chavan said the state would send a proposal to the Centre to expand Mumbai Port’s current passenger terminal, to provide all the amenities needed to attract international cruise ships and foreign tourists.
"We have been getting a lot of requests from tour operators for setting up a cruise terminal in Mumbai so that thousands of passengers who want to use these services do not have to go to other countries. The international cruise terminal will help us attract tourists to the state, which will help the economy," he said.
The biggest challenge in setting up a cruise terminal, however, is obtaining the various clearances required from the Navy, Coast Guard and the Mumbai Port Trust.
Maharashtra container transporters body hikes charges
Sept 18, 2012
Exim News Service – Mumbai
The Maharashtra Heavy Vehicles and Interstate Containers Operator’s Association has announced a revision in its rates, with immediate effect, for transportation of containers. The hike is to the tune of 20 per cent for local district movements and 15 per cent for other district and interstate movements.
In a notice to importers-exporters, CHAs and the trade in general, the Association justified the hike in the wake of the recent increase in diesel prices and other factors like increase in toll charges, increase in insurance premia, loss of efficiency due to traffic congestion at JN Port, increase in the cost of vehicles, spare parts and consumables etc.
It also announced that detention charges for vehicles would now be Rs 2,500 per day and for trailers Rs 3,500 per day at plant/warehouse/port premises.
Krishnapatnam, Kattupalli ports to begin handling container operations
Sept 18, 2012
DST – Chennai
It is good news for the export-import trade, as two more ports namely Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal (KPCT) and Larsen and Tourbo (L&T) Kattupalli Port are expected to start handling container services soon. Described as all-weather port with no tidal restriction, KPCT is located about 190 kilometer (km) of Chennai and closer to Nellore, while Kattupalli Port is about 30 km from Chennai Port. Bengal Tiger Line is all set to commence its Asia feeder service from KPCT from September 27. The common carrier feeder that will operate on fortnightly basis can load containers of any line and it is headed towards Singapore and Malaysia. Incidentally, this is the maiden service from Krishnapatnam Port.
L&T Kattupalli Port received amended notification from the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) for unloading of imported goods and loading of export goods or any class of such goods. Though L&T Kattupalli Port is ready since March 12, it is yet to get the nod from State government to commence its container services.
Official sources said, the Commissionerate of Chennai Customs inspected the Container Freight Station (CFS) located inside the Kattupalli port and had given their nod. The container services will commence soon towards Singapore and Malaysia, said an official.
“We are happy as we got two more ports. But at the same time, it is important to widen the two-lane North Chennai Thermal Power Station road as it serves as a crucial link to Ennore and Kattupalli. The failure to do so would result in traffic congestion and might not give any relief,” said a port user.
APM Terminals launches shipping depot in Coega IDZ
Sept 19, 2012
DST
Global depot and port terminal operator APM Terminals officially launched its operations in the Coega industrial development zone (IDZ) on Sunday, establishing a full-service depot to meet the needs of shipping lines and cargo owners.
The R25m investment will cater for dry and refrigerated containers, providing repairs, handling, storage, monitoring and container conversion.
APM Terminals is a subsidiary of the APMM group, based in Denmark. It launched operations in South Africa in 2000, opening a depot in Cape Town and later in Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Walvis Bay in Namibia. The company will use Coega to expand into Africa.
"A Nelson Mandela Bay depot has always been part of our plan. We were just waiting for the Port of Ngqura to be fully operational and shipping lines to show commitment to use this port before we embarked in a depot investment in the Coega IDZ," said Imtiaz Mahomed-Ally, chief operations officer of APM Terminals.
Ayanda Vilakazi, Coega Development Corporation head of marketing and communications, said the link between the port and the Coega IDZ offered a "seamless interconnection".
Mr Mahomed-Ally said APM Terminals were also looking at establishing a depot in Beira in Mozambique. “We are here to stay and expand our footprint in depot operations in southern Africa," he said.
JN Port terminates contract with PSA for fourth container terminal
To simultaneously start on the re-tendering process
Sept 20, 2012
Exim News Service - Mumbai
In a move that is likely to significantly delay the implementation of this key capacity augmentation project at JN Port, at a time when it is in dire need of excess capacity to handle the burgeoning volumes, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has terminated the contract awarded to Singapore's PSA International to build its fourth container terminal.
The termination decision was taken by the Port's Board of Trustees on Monday following the PSA-led consortium's (with ABG Ports) failure to sign the concession agreement subsequent to it being awarded the project way back in September 2011. The Board also decided to encash the security bid of Rs 67 crore, it is learnt.
According to a senior Port official, however, while the termination process is on, the Port will simultaneously commence on the re-tendering procedures, which will take a few months to be finalised and ready. The termination notice has a validity of 90 days, during which PSA can hold talks with JNPT. But that is seen as highly unlikely. "The termination decision is final from our end," the official stressed.
The government could now decide to bar PSA from bidding for any other project in the country and could also ask it to pay damages for causing delay and consequent financial losses.
The Rs 6,700-crore fourth terminal project was awarded to the PSA-led consortium after it agreed to provide a revenue share of nearly 51 per cent to the Port, the highest in a PPP port project.
According to analysts and trade representatives, this development is expected to be hugely beneficial to ports in Gujarat.
MbPT accepts MANSA's stand on tariff for shifting of vessels
Sept 20, 2012
Exim News Service – Mumbai
On the request of the Mumbai and Nhava-Sheva Ship-Agents Association (MANSA), the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) has agreed to rationalise its tariff and amend the levy of Port Entry charges with regard to shifting of vessels. This would reduce additional burden on ship agents.
According to a communiqué by Mr K. P. Unnikrishnan, the newly-elected President of MANSA, with effect from June 19, the following exemptions came into force as per Board of Trustees meeting vide TR No. 16 of 19th June 2012 and Port's Circular No. DC/B-OSC/Circular/1325 dated 11th September 2012:
"No Port Entry charges shall be levied on the vessels which are shifted to outer anchorages for Port convenience and are re-entering the Port for the reasons prescribed such as cancellation of docking due to vessel at Berth extended its stay, breakdown of Port's infrastructure, non-operation of Lock Gates, non-availability of Tugs, movement of vessels at Jawahar Dweep/Pir Pau, Tankers and Gas Carriers for safety consideration, non-availability of deep Berth etc."
MANSA expressed its gratitude to MbPT for conceding to this request and modifying the levy of Port Entry charges, the release said.
CONCOR launches scheduled train service from DCT-Turbhe to Kolkata / Guwahati
Sept 21, 2012
Exim News Service – Mumbai
The Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has announced the commencement of a scheduled train service from DCT-Turbhe (Navi Mumbai) to Shalimar (Kolkata) and Amingaon (Guwahati) on the 25th of every month.
The first rake will run as per schedule and will move cargo to the eastern sector consisting of the domestic and international segments, disclosed an official release.
The rates offered by CONCOR are much lower than the rates offered by road transporters as well as those charged by private container train operators, according to the release. It is expected that the trade and economy will be majorly benefited from such initiatives taken by CONCOR, the release highlighted.
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