GUJ-17-04-2023

Asyad Line enhances New Environment-friendly Vessel & Weekly Operation of the India Express Service

OMAN: Asyad Line, part of Asyad Group, announced two new additions to its maritime and shipping capabilities, a brand-new vessel added to its sizeable commercialfleetandanincreaseinthefrequencyofoneof itsflagshiplines,theIndiaExpressService(IEX).

Gujarat State Council Committee – Chairman of ICC meets DPA Chairman

GANDHIDHAM: The Gujarat State Co un ci l Co mm it te eChairman Mr D K Agrawal of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Kolkata alongwith Mr Bharat Gupta, Convenor recently met Shri S K Mehta, IFS, ChairmanDeendayal Port Authority (DPA) and highlighted him about the working of ICC Kolkata and the formation of Gujarat State Council Committee.

On behalf of ICC, a Memento as a token of RemembrancewasalsopresentedtotheDPA-Chairman.

Cont’d. Pg. 6

Eyeing both sustainability and improved competitiveness in the maritime sector, Asyad Line acquired the state-of-the-art vessel that features a capacity of 2800 TEU and excellent environmental efficiency rating thanks to its low carbonfootprint.

Mr.C.Harichandran,SecretaryDPA wasalsopresent duringthismeeting,saidarecentcommuniquefromICC.

APM Terminals Pipavav facilitates Maersk’s first import dedicated 48-wagon rake

PIPAVAV: APM Terminals Pipavav, one of the leading gateway ports in Western India, facilitated the country’s first import dedicated BLSS 48-wagon rake for Maersk,providingacustomisedandsustainablesolution.

APM Terminals Pipavav was the preferred port by Maersk and Pipavav Rail Corporation Ltd (PRCL), who partnered to deliver this integrated supply chain solutionforTinnaRubberandInfrastructure.

Cont’d. Pg. 6

Asyad Line enhances New Environment-friendly Vessel & Weekly Operation of the India Express Service

• Asyad Line bolsters its shipping fleet with a new environment-friendly 2800 TEU vessel

• India Express Service becomes a weekly service directly connecng major GCC and Indian ports

• Asyad Line focused on providing fast high-quality shipping soluons while driving sustainability in marime transport

• Asyad Line’s reliable services underline its commitment to supporng the development and food security of Oman and the region

Cont’d. from Pg. 4

The latest addition to the elite global carrier’s maritime arsenalputsintoaction Asyad Group’s bullish growth plans and proactive sustainability strategy, as it spearheads Oman’s drive to greenlogistics.

Additionally, Asyad Line has reinforced its IEX service by doubling its frequency, from two to four sailings per month, responding to the increasing global andregionaldemand.IEXhasproventobeareliableand hugely popular direct route that connects Oman’s ports to India’s, calling on major GCC ports from Sohar Port to Dubai’s Jebel Ali, Qatar’s Hamad Port and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, as well asMundra,NhavaShevaandHaziraportsinIndia.

Underlining the value of Asyad’s improved capabilities to global customers and trade, Imad Said Al Khadouri, CCO of Asyad Shipping and Drydock: “The addition of a new vessel to Asyad Line’s growing fleet, as well as transforming IEX into a weekly service, reflects our dedication to meet all customers’ demands

while simultaneously employing innovative technologies that limit the environmental impact of logistics operations.Ourhigh-qualityservices,alongwithAsyad’s continuously expanding resources, create strong and long-lasting trade and shipping connections across the Asia-Pacific.”

“Asyad Line, powered by Asyad Group’s integrated logistics ecosystem, capitalizes on Oman’s unique location in proximity to Indian and Southeast Asian markets to provide efficient shipping solutions with ever-increasing delivery speeds, meeting the demand of rising trade volume in the Asia-Pacific region. Our reliable shipping services also ensure the uninterruptedtransportofvitalgoodstoandfromOman, underlining Asyad Line’s unwavering commitment to supporting the development and food security of Oman andtheregion,”ImadAlKhadouri.

As one of the world’s top container lines in growth and efficiency, Asyad Line continues to explore opportunities to expand its fleet and shipping solutions while building a sustainable future for the industry, upholding Asyad Group’s status as a leading integrated logistics provider andmaintainingOman’spositionasagloballogisticshub.

APM Terminals Pipavav facilitates Maersk’s first import dedicated 48-wagon rake

Cont’d. from Pg. 4

This is the first time Maersk, APM Terminals Pipavav and PRCL have come together to provide block train service to a single consignee, thereby making this a customised solution.

BLSS wagons, also known as Spine Cars, were first inducted in India last month and delivered to PRCL. They are specifically designed to transport intermodal containers and trailers carrying 25-tonaxleload.

Commenting on Port’s achievement, Mr. Girish Aggarwal, MD, APM Terminals Pipavav said, “The successful implementation of India's first import dedicated and customized 48-wagon rake is a testament to the strategic collaboration between Maersk, APM TerminalsPipavav, PRCL, and J MBaxiPorts & Logistics. Throughourcollectiveefforts,wewereableto provide an integrated and sustainable supply chain solution that not only saves time and cost for the end customer but also contributes to our shared goal of decarbonizinglogistics.”

He further added, “This initiative is a clear indication of our commitment to driving innovation and promoting environmentally friendly solutions in the logistics industry. We look forward to continuing our strategic partnerships to facilitate trade and create value for our customers.”

Vikash Agarwal, Managing Director, Maersk South Asia, commented, “At Maersk, our strategic priorities revolve around driving customercentric solutions that connect and simplify our customers’ supply chains. We focus on ensuring that we do so while prioritising cost efficiencies and reducing environmental impacts.” He added, “The solution that we have been able to design and implement along with our partners at APM Terminals Pipavav is a testimony of the value we createforourcustomers.”

The rail mode of transportation is widely recognized as an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to road transport. APM Terminals Pipavav offers a customized service that includes B/L wise railing, ensuring timely clearance and delivery at the destination while reducing costs. To facilitate this, the port provides rail infrastructure and connectivity from port Pipavav to Sonepat, while Maersk offers a complete solution from ocean to last-mile delivery, including Custom House Brokerage (CHB) services. This successful movement of goods demonstrates our commitment to facilitating trade and supporting our customers' supply chain needs. APM Terminals is open to providing services for any mode like Carrier or Merchant haulage, thereby further reducing time and costinsupportingthecustomer’ssupplychain.

SHIPPING MOVEMENTS AT DEENDAYAL PORT

TODAY’S TIDE 17/04/2023

VESSELS IN PORT & DUE FOR EXPORT LOADING

SHIPS SAILED WITH NEXT EXPORT CARGOS DESTN.

VESSELS IN PORT & DUE FOR

GENERAL CARGO VESSELS

I.G.M. Nos. filed at Kandla Customs

LIQUID CARGO VESSELS

KANDLA INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL (KICT)

GUJARAT + NORTH INDIA

SHIPPING MOVEMENTS AT ADANI PORT

ADANI PORTS & SEZ LTD. (APSEZ) MUNDRA

SHIPS SAILED WITH EXPORT CARGO

VESSELS DUE IN PORT FOR IMPORT DISCHARGE & EXPORT LOADING

ADANI MUNDRA CONTAINER TERMINAL (AMCT)

CONTAINER VESSELS DUE / IN PORT FOR IMPORT DISCHARGE

CONTAINER VESSELS DUE / IN PORT FOR

IMPORT DISCHARGE

ADANI CMA MUNDRA CONTAINER TERMINAL PVT LTD (ACMTPL), MUNDRA

GUJARAT + NORTH INDIA

ADANI MUNDRA CONTAINER TERMINAL (AMCT)

ADANI INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL PVT LTD. (AICT)

SHIPPING MOVEMENTS AT GUJARAT PORTS PORT PIPAVAV

TO LOAD FOR WEST ASIA GULF, RED SEA & EAST AFRICAN PORTS

OTHER PORTS OF GUJARAT

GUJARAT +

NOTICE TO CONSIGNEES

m.v “KMTC DELHI” V-2302E IGM NO:

2340547

DATE: 11-04-2023

The above vessel has arrived at Mundra on 13-04-2023 as per following details.

53

54

Consignees are requested to obtain the DELIVERY ORDERS on presentation of ORIGINAL BILLS OF LADING duly discharged and on payment of relative charges as applicable within 5 days or else Detention Charges will be applicable.

If there is any delay in CY-CFS / lCD's movement due to port congestion or any other cause beyond the control of the Shipping Line / Agents are not responsible for the same. Also note that the Shipping Line / or their Agents will not be held responsible for auction by Port / Customs / Custodian of uncleared cargo on expiry of stipulated period as laid down in the byelaws. Consignees are advised that the carriers and/or their Agents are not bound to send individual notifications regarding the arrival of the vessel or the goods.

Emirates Shipping Agencies (India) Pvt. Ltd

342, Ward - 12/B, Gandhidham - 370201. India. In case of any query kindly contact the below E-mail IDS & Phone Numbers :

IMPORT related : ravi.vaghela@in.emiratesline.com

Tel. No. : +91-2836-239378 / 239379 - Mob. : +91 89809 97977

EXPORT related : benoy.varghese@in.emiratesline.com

Tel. No. : +91-2836-239378 / 239379 - Mob. : +91 89800

m.v. “ZIM EUROPE” V-76E IGM NO: 2340662 DATE: 12-04-2023

The above vessel has arrived at Mundra on 13-04-2023 as per following details.

Consignees are requested to obtain the DELIVERY ORDERS on presentation of ORIGINAL BILLS OF LADING duly discharged and on payment of relative charges as applicable within 5 days or else Detention Charges will be applicable.

If there is any delay in CY-CFS / lCD's movement due to port congestion or any other cause beyond the control of the Shipping Line / Agents are not responsible for the same. Also note that the Shipping Line / or their Agents will not be held responsible for auction by Port / Customs / Custodian of uncleared cargo on expiry of stipulated period as laid down in the byelaws. Consignees are advised that the carriers and/or their Agents are not bound to send individual notifications regarding the arrival of the vessel or the goods.

For vessel ETA / IGM- ITEM/ Exchange Rate / Local charges & Detention Charges please contact our office.

Emirates Shipping Agencies (India) Pvt. Ltd

Rajkamal-II, Office No. 103, 1st Floor, Plot No. 342, Ward - 12/B, Gandhidham - 370201. India. In case of any query kindly contact the below E-mail IDS & Phone Numbers :

IMPORT related : ravi.vaghela@in.emiratesline.com

Tel. No. : +91-2836-239378 / 239379 - Mob. : +91 89809 97977

EXPORT related : benoy.varghese@in.emiratesline.com

Tel. No. : +91-2836-239378 / 239379 - Mob. : +91 89800 25092

IGM Tracking : http://www.emiratesline.com : 8090/eadmins/igm_main.jsp.

NOTICE TO CONSIGNEES

m.v “NORTHERN DEDICATION” V-02314E IGM NO: 2340645 DATE: 12.04.2023

The above vessel has arrived at Mundra on 15/04/2023 as per following details.

Item Nos. B/L NOS. 5 EPIRAEESAD246476

Consignees are requested to obtain the DELIVERY ORDERS on presentation of ORIGINAL BILLS OF LADING duly discharged and on payment of relative charges as applicable within 5 days or else Detention Charges will be applicable.

If there is any delay in CY-CFS / lCD's movement due to port congestion or any other cause beyond the control of the Shipping Line / Agents are not responsible for the same. Also note that the Shipping Line / or their Agents will not be held responsible for auction by Port / Customs / Custodian of uncleared cargo on expiry of stipulated period as laid down in the byelaws.

Consignees are advised that the carriers and/or their Agents are not bound to send individual notifications regarding the arrival of the vessel or the goods.

For vessel ETA / IGM- ITEM/ Exchange Rate / Local charges & Detention Charges please contact our office.

Emirates Shipping Agencies (India) Pvt. Ltd

Rajkamal-II, Office No. 103, 1st Floor, Plot No. 342, Ward - 12/B, Gandhidham - 370201. India. In case of any query kindly contact the below E-mail IDS & Phone Numbers : IMPORT related : ravi.vaghela@in.emiratesline.com Tel. No. : +91-2836-239378 / 239379 - Mob. : +91 89809 97977 EXPORT related : benoy.varghese@in.emiratesline.com Tel. No. : +91-2836-239378 / 239379 - Mob. : +91 89800 25092

http://www.emiratesline.com : 8090/eadmins/igm_main.jsp.

PM expresses happiness for 1st ODC & Over Weight Cargo for Numaligarh Refinery expansion project

NEW DELHI: The 1st Over Dimensional Cargo & Over Weight Cargo for Numaligarh Refinery expansion project has reached Pandu Multimodal Port via Indo Bangladesh protocol route. It began sailing from Kolkata on 19th March.

This is another achievement of MoPSW under the leadership of PMModi.

To this, The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi praised for 1st Over Dimensional Cargo & Over Weight Cargo for Numaligarh

Refinery expansion project as it has reached Pandu Multimodal Port via IndoBangladeshprotocolroute.

Responding to the tweet by Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Prime Minister tweeted;“Commendablefeat.”

Overall Exports grows at 14 % in FY‘23 (YoY) to achieve $ 770 bn exports

March exhibing a negave growth in Exports of (-) 7.53 %

NEW DELHI: India’s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in March 2023 is estimated to be USD 66.14 Billion, exhibiting a negative growth of (-) 7.53 per cent over March 2022. Overall imports in March 2023 is estimated to be USD 72.18 Billion, exhibiting a negative growth of (-) 7.98 per cent over March2022.

India’s overall exports (MerchandiseandServicescombined) in FY 2022-23 (April-March) is estimated to exhibit a positive growth of 13.84 per cent over FY 2021-22 (April-March). As India’s domestic demand has remained steady amidst theglobalslump,overallimportsinFY 2022-23 (April-March) is estimated to exhibit a growth of 17.38 per cent over FY2021-22(April-March).

MERCHANDISE TRADE

Merchandise exports in March 2023 were USD 38.38 Billion, as compared to USD 44.57 Billion in March2022.

Merchandise imports in March 2023 were USD 58.11 Billion, as compared to USD 63.09 Billion in March2022.

Merchandiseexportsfortheperiod FY 2022-23 (April-March) were USD 447.46 Billion as against USD 422.00 Billion during FY 2021-22 (April-March).

Merchandise imports for the period FY 2022-23 (April-March) were USD 714.24 Billion as against USD 613.05 Billion during FY 2021-22 (April-March).

SERVICES TRADE

The estimated value of services export for March 2023 is USD 27.75 Billion, as compared to USD 26.95 BillioninMarch2022.

The estimated value of services export for FY 2022-23 (April-March) is USD 322.72 Billion as compared to USD 254.53 Billion in FY 2021-22 (April-March).

Inspiteofstrongglobalheadwinds, India’s overall exports is projected to grow at 13.84 percent during FY 202223 (April-March) over FY 2021-22 (April-March).

Under merchandise exports,

13 of the 30 key sectors exhibited positive growth in March 2023 as compared to same period last year (March2022).TheseincludeOilMeals (156.56%), Oil Seeds (99.5%), Electronic Goods (57.36%), Coffee (17.86%), Marine Products (12.85%), Fruits & Vegetables (11.37%), Rice (10.02%), Ceramic Products & Glassware (9.73%), Iron Ore (6.85%), Drugs & Pharmaceuticals (4.19%), Meat, Dairy & Poultry Products (3.44%), Tobacco (3.04%), and Cereal Preparations & Miscellaneous ProcessedItems(2.7%).

Undermerchandiseexports,17ofthe 30keysectorsexhibitedpositivegrowth during FY 2022-23 (April-March) as compared to FY 2021-22 (April-March). These include Oil Meals (55.13%), Electronic Goods (50.52%), Petroleum Products (40.1%), Tobacco (31.37%), OilSeeds(20.13%),Rice(15.22%),Cereal Preparations & Miscellaneous Processed Items (14.61%), Coffee (12.29%), Fruits & Vegetables (11.19%), Other Cereals (9.74%), Tea (8.85%), Leather & Leather Products (8.47%), CeramicProducts&Glassware(7.83%), Marine Products (3.93%), Drugs & Pharmaceuticals (3.25%), Organic & Inorganic Chemicals (3.23%) and RMG ofallTextiles(1.1%).

Exports of Electronic goods increased by 57.36 percent during March 2023 at USD 2.86 Billion as compared to USD 1.82 Billion in March 2022. During FY 2022-23 (April-March) electronic goods exports were recorded at USD 23.57 Billion as compared to USD 15.66 Billion during FY 2021-22 (April-March), registering a growth of50.52percent.

Effect of duty withdrawal on Iron Ore is visible on India’s exports of the item which have exhibited positive growth of 6.85 percent during March 2023overthesamemonthin2022.

Textiles, Plastic & Linoleum exports continued to decline in March 2023 because of subdued demand due to recessionary effects in major economies.

Undermerchandiseimports,14out of 30 key sectors exhibited negative

growth in March 2023. These include Sulphur & Unroasted Iron Pyrites (-74.42%), Fertilisers, Crude & Manufactured (-50.98%), Silver «(-43.64%), Coal, Coke & Briquettes, Etc. (-24.93%), Petroleum, Crude & Products (-23.79%), Vegetable Oil (-18.9%), Electronic Goods (-16.84%), Pearls, Precious & Semi-Precious Stones (-11.92%), Dyeing / Tanning / Colouring Materials (-11.56%), Cotton Raw & Waste (-11.31%), Medicinal&PharmaceuticalProducts (-10.91%),Leather&LeatherProducts (-10.56%), Organic & Inorganic Chemicals (-5.07%) and Transport Equipment(-3.22%).

Under merchandise imports, 6 of the 30 key sectors exhibited negative growth in FY 2022-23 (April-March) as comparedtoFY2021-22(April-March). These include Sulphur & Unroasted IronPyrites (-28.86%),Gold(-24.15%), Pulses (-12.79%), Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Products (-10.58%), Dyeing/Tanning/Colouring Materials. (-2.39%) and Pearls, Precious & SemiPreciousStones(-0.99%).

Silver imports slumped by 43.64 percent from USD 0.12 Billion in March 2022 to USD 0.07 Billion in March2023.

Merchandise exports growth for the period FY 2022-23 (April-March) remain impressive at 6.03 percent as againstFY2021-22(April-March).

China’s share in India’s merchandiseimportshavedeclinedto 13.79% in 2022-23 from 15.43% in 202122. Imports of electronic goods from China has seen a decline of around $2 billion in 2022-23 (Apr-Feb) compared to same period last year. Import share from China in electronic goods has also declined from 48.1% in 2021-22 (Apr-Feb) to 41.9% in 2022-23 (Apr-Feb). A significant fall in share from China seen in imports of fertilizers from 21.9% in 2021-22 (Apr-Feb)to13.9%in2022-23(Apr-Feb) and this accounts for around half a billionfallinimportsfromChina.

Services exports remain strong and projected to grow at 26.79 percent during FY 2022-23 (April-March) over FY2021-22(April-March).

m.v. “CMA CGM TOSCA” V-22E

The above vessel is arriving at MUNDRA PORT on 20-04-2023 with Import Cargo in containers.

Consignees are requested to obtain DELIVERY ORDERS from our office address given below on presentation of ORIGINAL BILLS OF LADING, duly discharged and on payment of applicable charges.

Consignees are requested to note that the carrier and or agents are not bound to send further individual notification regarding the arrival of the cargo vessel or their goods.

As Agents :

STAR SHIPPING SERVICES (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

First Floor, Plot No.86, Sector 1A, Near Quality Enterprises Hero Showroom, Gandhidham - Kutch, Gujarat - 370201

Tel: (0091-2836) 229543 235282 235283 235383, Fax: (0091-2836) 230433

Export Marketing Queries: Mr. Parmar Devendra - 9824413365, E-mail: parmar.devendra@zim.com Mr. Trinath Pal 9824504315 Email:pal.trinath@zim.com

Import Marketing Queries : Mr. Mitesh Rajgor - 02836-235282,229543 E-mail: imp@starship-knd.zim.com

NOTICE TO CONSIGNEES

m.v. “MSC TAMPICO” V: IM314A

I.G.M. No. 2340755 Dt. 13-.04.2023 Exch Rate 84.53

The above vessel has arrived on 14-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from DURBAN. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery

MUNDRA PORT SEZ

The above vessel has arrived on 14-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo to MUNDRA from DURBAN. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery.

MUNDRA

Consignees are requested to kindly note that the above item Nos. are for the B/L Nos.arrived for Mundra Delivery. Separate IGM will be lodged with Kandla Customs for CFS - Gandhidham. Consignees are requested to collect Delivery Order for all imports delivered at Mundra from our Import Documentation Deptt. at Siddhi Vinayak Complex, 2nd Floor, Off. No.201-208, Opp. Reliance Petrol Pump, Nr. Rotary Circle, on Presentation of duly discharged Original Bills of Lading and payment of relevant charges. The container detention charges will be applicable after 5 days from the GLD for containers meant for delivery at Mundra. The containers meant for movement by ROAD to inland destinations will be despatched upon receipt of required documents from consignees/receivers and the consignees will be liable for paymeant of port storage charges in case of delay in submission of these Documents. Our Surveyors are M/s. Master Marine Services Pvt. Ltd. and usual survey conditions will apply.Consignees are also requested to note that the carriers and their agents are not bound to send individual notification regarding the arrival of the vessel or the cargo.

- Charges enquiry on land line - 619100

- IGM No./Item No./Destuffing point enquiries can also be

: MSC

States may consider giving Industry Status to Logistics, says Special Secretary – Logistics

VARANASI: States may consider giving ‘industry’ status to logistics to facilitate easy financial access on concessionalterms,saidSumitaDawra,SpecialSecretary, Logistics, Department for Promotion of Industry and InternalTrade(DPIIT),GovernmentofIndia.

Speaking on the second day of the two-day of Prime Minister Gati Shakti National Master Plan workshop in Varanasi, she added, “States should establish city logistics committeesanddeveloplogisticsplansforefficientfreight flowmanagement.”

Dawra also requested the states to conduct interdepartment meetings to create awareness on PM Gati Shakti and create infrastructure for an efficient logistics ecosystem. She said that states should interact with investors/regional business associations to understand the interventions needed for better infrastructure and logisticssystems.

The senior official pointed out that Human Resources Development, Skilling and Capacity Building in Logistics are the focus courses on logistics and supply chain which willbeintegratedincoursecurriculumofuniversities.She advocated for a cluster-based area approach to develop economic centres. Further, she said that the economic corridors may be strengthened by leveraging inland waterways connectivity and attracting private investmentsinlogistics-relatedinfrastructure.

Significantly, Dawra also requested for involving startups to promote logistics efficiency. She also underlined the importance of the use of technology and green initiatives

while planning the logistics eco-system, which will include — ‘planning for infrastructure development for new India’ and‘developinganefficientlogisticsecosystem’.

Separately, Anurag Jain, Secretary, DPIIT, Government of India, urged the states to take PM Gati Shakti to district and gram panchayat levels. He appreciated efforts towards integrated planning for infrastructure development and social sector decisionmaking while motivating the states to bring out their State Logistics Policies. He also highlighted the importance of data quality and authenticity for accurate planning on NMP(NationalMasterPlan)orSMP(StateMasterPlan).

The officials lauded the technical support by BISAG-N for the tremendous work of mapping GIS-data layers of economic and social infra on NMP across the country. Meanwhile,duringtheseconddayoftheworkshop,several states — including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, and West Bengal — made presentations on theirrespectiveStateLogisticsPolicies.

The Uttar Pradesh Warehousing and Logistics Policy 2022 highlights the state’s infrastructure and logistics potential — including eight state-of-the-art expressways, India’s first inland waterway (Nw1), and 1,100-km of DFC track passing through 20 districts. The policy also outlines investment opportunities and parameters, fiscal and nonfiscal incentives, and fast track land allotment, which are expectedtocreateemploymentforaround1,48,000peoplein the logistics sector. The state has decided to earmark land forlogisticssectorineveryIndustrialPark/Zoneinthestate.

Overall Exports of over US$ 770 bn, amidst Global headwinds, shows resilience of the sector within the economy: FIEO

NEW DELHI : Overall exports (goods and services) of over USD 770 bn with a growth of about 14%, amidst global headwinds goes to show the resilience of the Indian exports sector, said Dr A Sakthivel, President, FIEO while reacting to annual foreign trade data released by the Government. Dr A Sakthivel added that the milestone achievement of USD 447.47 billion in goods exports has been mainly on account of phenomenal growth in exports of electronic goods, petroleum products coupled with growth in agro & processed food, marine products, leather goods, apparel, drugs & pharmaceuticals and organic & inorganic chemicals. He added that roughly 40% of the incremental GDP in 2022-23 was contributed by exports. TheFIEOChiefisconfidentofachievingtheexportstarget ofUSD2trillionby2030.

Dr A Sakthivel said that the country is making huge progress in various areas under the visionary and able leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ranging from social sectors to economy particularly exports. We achieved aggregate exports of US$770 billion in 2022-23 from about US$ 500 billion in 2020-21 with a

growth of about 55% and all this was made possible because of the dynamic Prime Minister and a proactive Commerce&IndustryMinister.

Such growth has created massive employment creation amongst MSME particularly of women. Such a spectacular feat has been possible due to the enabling and supportive eco system created under the leadership of our Prime Minister, said Dr Sakthivel. The timely guidance and support from the Hon’ble Commerce & Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal, who constantly engaged with the trade and industry especially exporters and monitored their progress through frequent engagements, has also helpedtheexportingcommunityachievethisfeat.

DrASakthivelreiteratedthatexportshavenowbecome a national priority, which has helped in providing further momentumtothesector.However,theneedofthehouristo provide marketing support for further promoting Brand India products and services globally, GST exemption on Freight on exports along with 3-6 months transition period maybeprovided,wheneveramajorchangeisnotifiedinthe Foreign Trade policy, so that the existing contract can be executedfactoringtheprevailingbenefits.

m.v. “MSC MUNDRA VIII” Voy : IU314A

The above vessel has arrived on 15-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from ABU DHABI, HOUSTON. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery.

MUNDRA PORT SEZ

The above vessel has arrived on 15-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from NEW YORK. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery

GANDHIDHAM

PORT with Import cargo from HOUSTON. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery.

The above vessel has arrived on 15-04-2023 at

The above vessel has arrived on 15-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from ABU DHABI, JEBEL ALI, CAUCEDO, PORT AU PRINCE, CHARLESTON, HOUSTON, MIAMI, NEW YORK, NORFOLK.

Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery.

MUNDRA

Consignees are requested to kindly note that the above item Nos. are for the B/L Nos.arrived for Mundra Delivery Separate IGM will be lodged with Kandla Customs for CFS - Gandhidham. Consignees are requested to collect Delivery Order for all imports delivered at Mundra from our Import Documentation Deptt. at Siddhi Vinayak Complex, 2nd Floor, Off. No.201-208, Opp. Reliance Petrol Pump, Nr. Rotary Circle, on Presentation of duly discharged Original Bills of Lading and payment of relevant charges. The container detention charges will be applicable after 5 days from the GLD for containers meant for delivery at Mundra. The containers meant for movement by ROAD to inland destinations will be despatched upon receipt of required documents from consignees/receivers and the consignees will be liable for paymeant of port storage charges in case of delay in submission of these Documents. Our Surveyors are M/s. Master Marine Services Pvt. Ltd. and usual survey conditions will apply.Consignees are also requested to note that the carriers and their agents are not bound to send individual notification regarding the arrival of the vessel or the cargo.

- Charges enquiry on land line - 619100

- IGM No./Item No./Destuffing point enquiries can also be done at our computerized helpline No.(079) 40072804

As Agents :

MSC AGENCY (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED

Gandhidham : Siddhi Vinayak Complex, Plot No. 1, Office No. 201-208, 2nd Floor, Ward - 6, Near Rotary Circle, Gandhidham - Kutch 370 201 Gujarat India. Tel : +91-2836-619100 to 616100 (Board)

E-mail : jatin.hadiya@msc.com, niraj.raval@msc.com, operator.gandhidham@msc.com

H. O. & Regd. Office : MSC House, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai - 400 059

: +91-22-66378000, Fax : +91-22-66378192, E-mail : IN363-comm.mumbai@msc.com • www.msc.com

First Direct Mainline Container Vessel “mv Hong An” calls at New Mangalore Port

MANGALORE: The first direct mainline vessel “mv Hong An” called at the New Mangalore Port on Thursday, after the port operationalised its dedicated ContainerTerminal.

The regular service vessel will operate between the westbound rotation of Chittagong- Colombo-MangaloreNhava Sheva-Mundra; and the eastbound leg to Jebel AliKhalifa Port, said a release. It is the only direct service for Indian exporters to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi with seamless connectionstotheUSA,Europe,SouthEastAsia,andAfrica.

NMP Authority Chairman A.V. Ramana inaugurated thefirstDirectMainlineServicefromNewMangalorePort

byflaggingoffthecontainerdischargingfromthevesselin presence of Sagar Dange, Head India Operations CMA-CGM; Ramanathan, Vice -President and Unit Head, JSW Mangalore Coal and Container Terminals, officers from NMPA, official’s from JSW-MCTPL,CMA-CGM,andPortUsers.

The mainline service got introduced primarily as a result of the use of various productivity measures to free up berth time for new services through the establishment of a fixed window berthing policy and the extension of additional inducements in the form of commercial rebates onvessel-relatedcosts.

India’s cotton exports seen sliding, matching imports for first time in years –USDA

NEW DELHI: India’s cotton exports are expected to slide sharply for 2022-23 and match imports into the top producer for the first time in about two decades on low domestic stocks among other factors, the United States DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)said.

In its April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report released recently, the USDA projected 2022-23Indianexportsfallingby500,000balesto1.8million, roughlyequallingitsimportforecast.

“Lower domestic supplies, increased demand for foreign long and extra-long staple grades, and the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) have all supported this recent dynamic,”theUSDAsaid.

The Cotton Association of India (CAI) said in March that Indian stocks could fall to a near twodecade low in 2022-23 as adverse weather curtailed crop yields.

Port of Call : Joint Statement of 1st India-Central Asia Joint Working Group on Chabahar

MUMBAI: The first meeting of the India-Central Asia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Chabahar Port was held in Mumbai on April 12-13, 2023. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary (ER) and attended by the Deputy Ministers and Senior Officials of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan. The special invitees for the event were the Country representative of the UN World Food Program (UNWFP), the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Consul General of the IslamicRepublicofAfghanistan.

During the meeting, the Managing Ddirector of India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) gave a comprehensive presentationon the facilitiesandthe current operations at the Shahid Beheshti Terminal, Chabahar Port. The country representative for UNWFP made a presentation on the ongoing cooperation between India and UNWFP in Afghanistan for the delivery of wheat assistance. The consul general of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan emphasised the significance of Chabahar Port for the delivery of humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people and for providing economic opportunities for Afghan businessmenandtraders.

TheDeputyForeignMinisteroftheIslamicRepublicof Iran proposed to hold the next round of the India-Central Asia Joint Working Group (JWG) in Iran along with the participation of the private sector. The participants welcomedtheproposal.

Theparticipantsagreedonthefollowing:

(a) Appreciated the role played by Shahid Behesti Terminal, Chabahar Port in facilitating the shipments of humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people. Since IPGL took over operations in December 2018, India has

utilisedtheporttoshipatotalof2.5milliontonnesofwheat andtwothousandtonnesofpulsestoAfghanistan.

(b) Noted that the further development of regional connectivity is essential for enhancing trade and commerce between India and Central Asian countries in thecontextoftheirland-lockednatureandlackofoverland connectivitywithIndia.

(c) Reaffirmed that the connectivity initiatives should conform with international norms, rule of law, and respect forinternationalcommitments,andarebasedonmutually agreed principles of sustainable connectivity, transparency, broad participation, local priorities, financial sustainability, and respect for sovereignty and territorialintegrityofallcountries.

(d) Emphasised that the connectivity projects deserve priority attention and could be a force multiplier for trade andeconomiccooperationandcontactsbetweencountries andpeople.

(e) Agreed that connectivity requires the active participation of the private sector. In order to facilitate large-scale private investments in sustainable connectivity, the sides expressed their commitment to implement relevant international standards, to ensure a level playing field for companies and to ensure reciprocal accesstomarkets.

(f) Upon their request, the Indian side offered capacitybuilding programmes to the officials/relevant stakeholders of participating countries in the field of port managementandlogistics.

5. The participants thanked the Republic of India for holding the first Joint Working Group Meeting on the joint use of Chabahar Port in Mumbai and agreed to hold the nextroundofmeetingsatamutuallyconvenientdate.

NOTICE TO CONSIGNEES

ZIM INTEGRATED SHIPPING SERVICES

m.v “SM NEYYAR” 0047

The above vessel is arriving at MUNDRA PORT on 19-04-2023 with Import Cargo in containers.

Consignees are requested to obtain DELIVERY ORDERS from our office address given below on presentation of ORIGINAL BILLS OF LADING, duly discharged and on payment of applicable charges.

Consignees are requested to note that the carrier and or agents are not bound to send further individual notification regarding the arrival of the cargo vessel or their goods.

As Agents :

ZIM INTEGRATED SHIPPING SERVICES (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

First Floor, Plot No.86, Sector 1A, Near Quality Enterprises Hero Showroom, Gandhidham - Kutch, Gujarat - 370201

Tel: (0091-2836) 229543 235282 235283 235383, Fax: (0091-2836) 230433

Export Marketing Queries: Mr. Parmar Devendra - 9824413365, E-mail: parmar.devendra@zim.com Mr. Trinath Pal 9824504315 Email:pal.trinath@zim.com

Import Marketing Queries : Mr. Mitesh Rajgor - 02836-235282,229543 E-mail: imp@starship-knd.zim.com

NOTICE TO CONSIGNEES

The above vessel has arrived on 16-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from BAHRAIN. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery

The above vessel has arrived on 16-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from AD DAMMAM. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery.

MUNDRA

Consignees are requested to kindly note that the above item Nos. are for the B/L Nos.arrived for Mundra Delivery. Separate IGM will be lodged with Kandla Customs for CFS - Gandhidham. Consignees are requested to collect Delivery Order for all imports delivered at Mundra from our Import Documentation Deptt. at Siddhi Vinayak Complex, 2nd Floor, Off. No.201-208, Opp. Reliance Petrol Pump, Nr. Rotary Circle, on Presentation of duly discharged Original Bills of Lading and payment of relevant charges. The container detention charges will be applicable after 5 days from the GLD for containers meant for delivery at Mundra. The containers meant for movement by ROAD to inland destinations will be despatched upon receipt of required documents from consignees/receivers and the consignees will be liable for paymeant of port storage charges in case of delay in submission of these Documents. Our Surveyors are M/s. Master Marine Services Pvt. Ltd. and usual survey conditions will apply.Consignees are also requested to note that the carriers and their agents are not bound to send individual notification regarding the arrival of the vessel or the cargo.

- Charges enquiry on land line - 619100

- IGM No./Item No./Destuffing point enquiries can also be done at our computerized helpline No.(079) 40072804

As Agents :

Gandhidham : Siddhi Vinayak Complex, Plot No. 1, Office No. 201-208, 2nd Floor, Ward - 6, Near Rotary Circle, Gandhidham - Kutch 370 201 Gujarat India. Tel : +91-2836-619100 to 616100 (Board)

E-mail : jatin.hadiya@msc.com, niraj.raval@msc.com, operator.gandhidham@msc.com

H. O. & Regd. Office : MSC House, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai - 400 059 Tel : +91-22-66378000, Fax : +91-22-66378192, E-mail : IN363-comm.mumbai@msc.com • www.msc.com

Maharashtra to have 5-6 Logistics Parks, says Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

MUMBAI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said recently that five to six logistics parks will be set up in MaharashtraonbehalfofhisMinistry.

Minister informed that 5-6 logistics parks would be set up in MaharashtraonbehalfoftheMinistry of Road Transport and Highways. He informed that the work of construction of dry ports at Jalna and Wardha in the state has been completed and now the work of construction of similar dry ports in NashikandPuneisbeingundertaken.

Speaking about logistic parks in the Country, he said that with the help of newly developed infrastructure, we will able to reduce Agarbatti imports from China and instead use the

indigenously developed sticks from Assam.

The Minister was speaking at the 11th Biennial International Conference on Ports, Shipping and Logistics.

Gadkari said passenger water transport between Mumbai and Goa would be a game-changer in the region as it is very cost-effective compared to road and rail transport. The cost of transport would further come down if alternative fuels are used,hesaid.

Govt ‘working to reduce logistics costto9%by2024’

The Union Government has started work on 36 green highway projects, and it is paying more than the market value as compensation for

land acquired for them, he claimed. That’s why land acquisition is no longer a problem when it comes to highwayprojects,hesaid.

“We are working to reduce logistics cost to 9% by 2024. It is currently 14-16%. Better roads and lower logistics costs will help in enhancement of trade business and industry,”Gadkarisaid.

Rupee Trade arrangement to help cut transactions cost: Piyush Goyal

MUMBAI: International trade in the domestic currency will help reduce transaction cost for the industry and several countries are in discussion with the RBI on this, Commerce and Industry Minister PiyushGoyalsaidrecently.

Last year, the RBI and Finance Ministry asked the top management of banks and representatives of trade bodies to push export and import transactions in the rupee. They want banks in India to connect with their foreign counterparts for opening special rupee vostro accounts to facilitate cross-border trade in the Indian currency rather than the popularmodeoftheUSdollar.

Goyal said that several countries

are realising that in trade, there is a need for change in currency for that and it involves a conversion cost, which in turn increases transactions costalso.

“We can address these issues through rupee trade (arrangement),” he told reporters here, adding that several countries are under discussions with the RBI on the subject.

Several banks, including HDFC Bank and UCO Bank, have opened special vostro accounts as of date to facilitateoverseastradeintherupee.

Sberbank and VTB Bank — the largest and second-largest banks of Russia, respectively — are the first foreign lenders to receive the

approvalaftertheRBIannouncedthe guidelines on overseas trade in the rupeeinJulylastyear.

Another Russian bank Gazprom, which does not have its unit in India, has also opened this account with Kolkata-basedUCOBank.

The move to open the special vostro account clears the deck for settlement of payments in rupee for trade between India and Russia, enabling cross-border trade in the Indian currency, which the RBI is keentopromote.

The RBI has allowed the special vostro accounts to invest the surplus balance in Indian Government securities to help popularise the new arrangement.

SCI sale: Govt may invite bids from four companies

MUMBAI: Vedanta Resources, Safe Sea Services, JM Baxi and Megha Engineering are among firms that are likely to be asked to place bids for the strategic disinvestment of state-runShippingCorp.ofIndia(SCI)by nextmonth,sourcesrevealedrecently.

The Government is expecting an equity value of about Rs. 6,000 crore from the strategic sale, which will see management control transferred to the winningbidder.

Aspartofitsstrategicdisinvestment plan, the Government will transfer its entire shareholding of 63.75% in SCI, along with management control, to a private entity. The remaining equity of the BSE-listed company is held by the public. The company’s disinvestment process gained pace after it completed the demerger of its non-core assets into aunit.

SCI’s South Mumbai headquarters Shipping House, a training institute in

Powai and some other properties will notbesoldbutinstead,betransferredto the demerged Shipping Corp. of India LandandAssetsLtd.

These assets will be dealt with later after the disinvestment of the shipping business. The unit will also be listed. The Government, which intends to complete the sale within the first half of this financial year, has set itself a disinvestment target of Rs. 51,000 crore for2023-24.

Forex reserves up $6.31 billion to $584.76 billion, at 9-month high

MUMBAI: India's forex reserves jumped by USD 6.3 billion to USD 584. 755 billion for the week ended April 7, theRBIsaid.

In the last reporting week, the forex kitty snapped a two-week rising trend to decline by USD 329 million to

578.45 billion.

Foreign Currency Assets increased by USD 4.740 billion to USD 514.431 billion.

Gold reserves also increased by USD 1.496 billion to USD 46.696 billion, theRBIsaid.

The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) wereupbyUSD58milliontoUSD18.450 billion,theapexbanksaid.

The country's reserve position with the IMF was up by USD 13 million to USD 5.178 billion in the reporting week, theapexbankdatashowed.

The above vessel has arrived on 15-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from HAMBURG. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery.

MUNDRA PORT SEZ

The above vessel vessel has arrived on 15-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo from ANTWERP, HAMBURG. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery

KANDLA-SEZ/GANDHIDHAM

The above vessel vessel has arrived on 15-04-2023 at MUNDRA PORT with Import cargo to MUNDRA from ANTWERP, HAMBURG, FELIXSTOWE, ROTTERDAM, SINES. Please note the item Nos. against the B/L Nos. for MUNDRA delivery

MUNDRA

Consignees are requested to kindly note that the above item Nos. are for the B/L Nos.arrived for Mundra Delivery Separate IGM will be lodged with Kandla Customs for CFS - Gandhidham. Consignees are requested to collect Delivery Order for all imports delivered at Mundra from our Import Documentation Deptt. at Siddhi Vinayak Complex, 2nd Floor, Off. No.201-208, Opp. Reliance Petrol Pump, Nr. Rotary Circle, on Presentation of duly discharged Original Bills of Lading and payment of relevant charges. The container detention charges will be applicable after 5 days from the GLD for containers meant for delivery at Mundra. The containers meant for movement by ROAD to inland destinations will be despatched upon receipt of required documents from consignees/receivers and the consignees will be liable for paymeant of port storage charges in case of delay in submission of these Documents. Our Surveyors are M/s. Master Marine Services Pvt. Ltd. and usual survey conditions will apply.Consignees are also requested to note that the carriers and their agents are not bound to send individual notification regarding the arrival of the vessel or the cargo.

- Charges enquiry on land line - 619100 - IGM No./Item No./Destuffing

CONCOR’s total cargo volumes grow over 4% in Q4FY23

NEW DELHI: Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) recently posted provisional updates regarding the physical volumes the company handled in the fourthquarterendedMarch31,2023.

The public sector transport company said that it handled total cargo volume of 11,19,034 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in the reported quarter, which is 4.71 percent higher than the volumes it handled in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. The company handled 10,68,721 TEUsofthevolumesinQ4FY22.

The PSU handled a total volume of 43,61,131 TEUs in

FY23, which is 7.08 percent higher than 40,72,925 TEUs ithandledinFY22.

CONCOR’s Export Import volumes grew by 2.21 percentat8,51,261TEUsintheMarch2023quarteragainst 8,32,863TEUshandledlastyear.ItsExportImportgrewby 4.22 percent to 34,06,864 TEUs in FY23 against 32,69,026 TEUsithandledinFY22.

The company’s domestic volume rose by 13.53 per cent at 2,67,773 TEUs against 2,35,858 TEUs handled in the corresponding quarter last year. It handled a total volume of 9,54,267 TEUs in FY23 in the domestic market, which is 18.70 percent higher than 8,03,899TEUshandledinFY22.

Record high Container order book of 7.54 million TEU signals significant change : BIMCO

OSLO: Despite the collapse in freightrates,shipownersstillhave an appetite for new container ship orders and the order book has continuedtogrow.Therecordhigh order book of 7.54 million TEU will result in significant changes to the container fleet in the coming years,” says NielsRasmussen,ChiefShippingAnalystatBIMCO.

During the last 10 quarters, 8.61 million TEU has been contracted, matching the level contracted during the preceding 30 quarters. The order book has now increased for ten straight quarters, reaching a new record high in each of the last four quarters, and at 7.54 million TEU it nowequals28.9%oftheexistingfleet.

“The large order book will result in significant fleet growth.Scheduleddeliveriesfor2024andtheremainderof 2023 are currently at 5.03 million TEU. We estimate that recycling will hit nearly 1 million TEU during that period and the fleet could therefore soon exceed 30 million TEU for the first time; up 16% compared to today,” says Rasmussen.

Delivery of the ships will also increase the fuel types used. 57% of TEU capacity in the order book involves ships withsomelevelofalternativefuelspreparationcomparedto only 10% in the current fleet. The first ships using methanol willbedeliveredandthefirstammonia-readyshipswillalso be launched Soon, five different fuels could be in use: low- and high-sulphur fuel oil, LNG, methanol, and ammonia. As the use of alternative fuels increases it will become increasingly difficult to establish a single relevant

ratebenchmarkforthetimecharterandassetmarkets.

Atthesametime,theoperators’ownershipshareofthe fleet will continue to grow. Ten years ago, the operators’ ownership share of the fleet capacity bottomed out at 50% but has since climbed to 61%. This share will increase further in the coming years as 65% of the order book capacity is controlled by operators. Many of the nonoperating owners’ largest ships are fixed on long-term charter contracts and it is increasingly only smaller ships that operate in the short-term charter market. Combined with the increasing ownership share, operators’ ability to usethetimechartermarkettoquicklyadjustfleetcapacity isthereforedecreasing.

“Most importantly, the new ships will be more fuel efficient than most of the existing ships and the introduction of alternative fuels will help reduce their greenhousegasemissions,”saysRasmussen.

At $11 bn exports, India to become global mobile device leader: Union Minister

NEWDELHI:Withthedoublingofsmartphoneexports from India to over USD 11 billion, the country is on its way to become global leader in the mobile devices segment, UnionMinisterAshwiniVaishnawsaidrecently.

Mobile phone exports from India reached close to USD 11.12 billion with iPhone maker Apple accounting for around half of the total exports, according to industry body ICEAandestimatesfromindustrysources.

“With the doubling of exports of smartphones to more than USD 11 billion, India is well on its way to become a leader in the mobile device market of the world and play a majorroleinIndia’selectronicexports.Thisisamajorwin for PM Modiji’s ‘make in India’ programme,” Vaishnawsaid.

India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said that mobile phones export from India have doubled to surpass Rs 90,000 crore, about USD 11.12 billion, in the

financialyear(FY)2022-23fromRs45,000croreinFY22.

“No economy or sector in the economy can become a great and vibrant global economy without large exports. The mobile phone export juggernaut continues. Riding on the 100 per cent growth in mobile phone exports, which have crossed Rs 90,000 crore for FY 2022-23, electronics exportshavealsogrownby58percenttoRs1,85,000crore. Itisextremelysatisfyingthatwehavecrossedthetargeted figure of Rs 75,000 crore for the year,” ICEA Chairman PankajMohindroosaid.

The Government has set a target of USD 10 billion worth of mobile phone exports from the Country. According to industry sources, Apple is estimated to have clocked 50 per cent share with export of ‘made in India’ iPhonesworthUSD5.5billion,aboutRs45,000crore.

Sources estimate that Samsung accounts for about 40percentsharewithexportworthRs36,000crore.

Bangladesh deep-sea port ‘Matarbari’ promises strategic anchor for Japan, India

DHAKA: A deep-sea port under construction in southern Bangladesh isshapinguptobeastrategiclinchpin for Japan and India as the Quad partners aim to counter Chinese influence.

Development of the port of Matarbari will put a Japan-backed facility just north of Sonadia, another prime location on the Bay of Bengal where China was expected to develop a port. That facility never materialized, and Dhaka reportedly droppedtheideaafewyearsago.

This is leading some pundits to declare a strategic victory for India in a South Asian great game between big powers. As India’s tag-team partner, Japanisalsoconsideredawinnerinthis scenario,thoughsomeobserversseeno game at all, only the Bangladeshi Government wringing out financial assistancewhereveritcan.

The geopolitical importance of Matarbari — Bangladesh’s first deepsea port — was evident during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida‘s visit to India in March. The port emerged as one of the key areas for his free and open Indo-Pacific agenda. The same month, the Japan International Cooperation Agency agreed to extend a fresh 165 billion yen ($1.2 billion) infrastructure construction loan to Bangladesh, on top of 38.8 billion yen already promised.

In New Delhi, Kishida said Tokyo would promote an “industrial value chain” from the Bay of Bengal to northeastern India in cooperation with both South Asian countries, “to foster the growth of the entire region.”

The port is being built in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district,

including a container terminal and a coal-fired power plant. Deepening the harbor’s shallow waters will make room for huge container ships or tankers to dock, bringing in iron ore and exporting large quantities from Bangladesh’sgarmentindustry.

“Matabari port will be equivalent to the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka or Port of Singapore in terms of water depths,” said a JICA official in charge oftheproject.

Upon completion, expected in 2027, the complex will take a major load off of the country’s main Chattogram port, also known as Chittagong. In addition, it should serve as a key port for India’s underdeveloped northeastern states. Collectively known as the “Seven Sisters,” these states are landlocked by neighbors including China, MyanmarandBangladesh.

Cargo movement between NE and Chittagong port to start soon

NEW DELHI: Transit and transhipment of cargo between Northeastern India and Bangladesh using Chittagong port will start soon, the neighbouring country’s Minister of State for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhurysaidrecently.

Tripura is set to become the ‘Gateway of North East’ with access

to Chittagong port of Bangladesh, which is just 70 kilometres from Sabroominthenortheasternstate,he said.

“We are ready for the start of transit and transhipment of goods between Bangladesh and the northeastern region of India through Chittagong. Trial runs were

completed and all arrangements for immigration and customs formalities on the Bangladesh side are also ready,” Chowdhury told PTI. The Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO), required for the movement of cargo from Bangladesh to India, will be issued by the National Board of Revenue.

Drewry: World Container Index stable last week

LONDON: Drewry’s composite World Container Index remained stable at $1,708.63 per 40ft containerlastweek

The composite index remained stable (decreased a merge 0.1%) last week, and has dropped by 78% when comparedwiththesameweeklastyear.

The latest Drewry WCI composite index of $1,709 per 40-foot container is now 84% below the peak of $10,377 reached in September 2021. It is 36% lower than the 10-year average of

$2,688, indicating a return to more normal prices, but remains 20% higher than average 2019 (prepandemic)ratesof$1,420.

The average composite index for the year-to-date is $1,908 per 40ft container,whichis$780lowerthanthe 10-year average ($2,688 mentioned above).

The composite index remained stable at $1,708.63 per 40ft container, but is 78% lower than the same week in 2022. Freight rates on Rotterdam –Shanghai fell 5% to $642 per feu. Rates on Shanghai – Los Angeles and

NewYork–Rotterdamslidby4%each to settle at $1,674 and $1,025 per 40ft box, respectively. However, rates on Shanghai – Rotterdam increased by 4% to $1,598 per 40ft container. Similarly, Shanghai – New York inched up 2% to $2,552 per feu. Continuing the trend, rates on Shanghai – Genoa, Los Angeles –Shanghai and Rotterdam – New York hovered around the previous week’s level. Drewry expects East-West spot rates on routes other than the transatlantic to plateau in the next fewweeks.

Reliance Industries plans to float Rs 20,000-cr InvIT to monetise retail warehousing assets

MUMBAI: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is planning to implement a process under which the group can monetise the backend warehousing and logistics assets of its retail business by setting up an infrastructure investment trust (InvIT). According to a report in The EconomicTimes,RelianceRetailLtd, a step-down subsidiary of RIL,

has already set up the base for the proposed InvIT of its warehousing assets. Reliance Retail, which is the largest retailer by revenue, scale and profit, has registered a trust, Intelligent Supply Chain InfrastructureTrust,forthesame.

According to the report, the company, led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is planning to float the new

unit either as a privately placed or listed InvIT and has started working on its financials and legal aspect. UnderSebinorms,itwillneedatleast fiveshareholders.

Besides the trust, RIL has also set up Intelligent Supply Chain Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, which will be looking into the management of the assetsthatwillbeunderthenewInvIT.

MSC : Australia Express Service adds India Port calls

GENEVA: MSC is pleased to announcetheenhancementofits AustraliaExpressService(AEX) with a direct call at Ennore (Chennai) on the Westbound leg tobeintroducedfromJune2023.

The new call at Ennore will provide MSC customers with improved export connections to European ports and a direct import connection from Australia and Singapore. The service will continue to call at Colombo to cater for cargo from other Southern and Eastern Indian ports and fromSriLanka.

The new rotation of the service will be as follows:

Ennore – Colombo – Gioia Tauro – Valencia –LondonGateway–Rotterdam–Hamburg–Antwerp–Le Havre – Fos Sur Mer – La Spezia – Gioia Tauro –Pointe De Galets – Port Louis – Sydney – Melbourne –Adelaide–Fremantle–Singapore–Ennore.

Transit times will be Ennore to Gioia Tauro in 18 days, Ennore to Valencia in 21 days and Ennore to London Gateway in 28 days. The first vessel on the new rotation will be APL MEXICO CITY voyage number 0NNFKW1MA, due to arrive in Ennore on 9 June 2023.

European Box lines can increase Reefer capacity, MSC secures Top spot : Alphaliner

LONDON: Alphaliner’s latest report said that European container carriers can use more of their overallcapacitytocarryreefers.

MSC has the highest reefer capacity, with 496,200 reefer plugs in the 746 ships the Swiss-Italian market leader operates. MSC has grown its reefer capacity in tandemwithitsaggressivevesselacquisitions.

Back in April 2022, Maersk was in the top position, despite the fact that MSC had overtaken the Danish shipping company as the world’s largest container carrierinearlyJanuary2022.

When comparing reefer capacities on a year-on-year basis, the 12.1% increase for MSC is clearly related to its overall 11.8% fleet growth. Maersk lost its top reefer positiontoMSCastheDanishlinehasreduceditsoverall fleetby2.5%sinceApril2022.

The percentage of slots available for plugged-in reefer boxes hovers above 20% for MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd. This compares to values from 15.5% (HMM) to 17.3% (Evergreen) for their Asian counterparts.

Alphalinerstated,“Thereisanobviousreasonforthis noticeable difference: In the past, all big European carriers ordered some newbuildings with an extra high

number of reefer plugs, since these ships were specifically designed to be operated on fruit-oriented or otherreefer-heavyLatinAmericaservice.”

ZIM realised the biggest growth in reefer capacity, at nearly 26%, which is in line with its 26.3% overall fleet expansion.

Hapag-Lloyd is the only carrier with a proportionally larger increase in reefer capacity than in its total fleet. The German container line has been the latest carrier to take delivery of newbuildings with a high reefer capacity as the ships were specifically designed to be deployed in servicesto/fromLatinAmerica.

Since July 2022, Hapag-Lloyd has added five 13,312 TEU sister vessels to its fleet. Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries is set to deliver the sixth and final ship in this series, the Buenaventura Express, in June. These ships are fitted with 2,220 reefer plugs, the highest number of reefer connections on any single container vessel. The additionoftheseshipshasgrownHapag-Lloyd’snumber of reefer plugs by 4.7% since April 2022 despite a very small0.4%overallfleetgrowth.

Four more high-reefer 13,000 TEU ships built by China’s New Century Shipbuilding are scheduled to join Hapag-Lloyd’sfleetfromOctober.

HMM cuts carbon emissions by half in last decade

SEOUL: HMM has accelerated its efforts to become an eco-friendly shipping company, reducing carbon emissions to less than half of 2010 levels.

According to HMM, the CO2 emissions generated when transporting 1TEU of container for 1km decreased from 68.7g in 2010 to 29.05g in 2021, representing a reductionof57.7%overthelastdecade.

This result has been achieved amid a more than twofoldincreaseinfleetcapacity,from337,407TEUto755,209 TEU,inthesameperiod.

HMM has constantly upgraded its fleet by securing energy-efficient mega-vessels. It also used premium antifoulingpaintandmodifiedthebulbousbow'sshapeto lessen the hull surface's frictional resistance.

Additionally, HMM has improved its operational efficiency by optimizing service routes, speeds, and cargostowage.

In particular, HMM formed a dedicated Task Force in 2015 for effective energy efficiency management and opened a Fleet Control Center in 2020, which analyzes real-time data about vessel operations to reduce greenhousegasemissions.

An HMM official said, “We will continue to engage in activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions based on data-driven analysis and enhance our environmental capability”.

As an environmental initiative, HMM has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions across its fleet by 2050. Last February, it signed newbuilding contracts for nine9,000TEUmethanol-fueledcontainerships.