Chittagong Port, Bangladesh. File Photo
After Europe, direct container ship service is also being launched in the United Kingdom. UK's freight forwarding and shipping company Allseas Global Logistics Company is going to launch this service. If all goes well, the first ship MV Amo to arrive in the UK on May 15 could reach Chittagong port.
There is currently a direct shipping service of an organization in Europe. Direct shipping services of two more companies including new ships will be launched next month. This will enable export products to be delivered to foreign buyers in less time and at comparatively lower cost.
Under the new service, ships carrying export goods from Chittagong will first go to Rotterdam port in the Netherlands via Suez Canal. The ship will unload at the port of Liverpool in the United Kingdom. Similarly, imported goods will return to Chittagong with containers.
Capt. Syed Sohail Hasnat, chief executive officer of Phoenix Shipping Limited, a local representative of Allseas Global Logistics Company's ship, said the new service could deliver goods from Chittagong to the UK within 23 days. It currently takes about 35-40 days to reach the UK via Singapore and Colombo.
On February 7, for the first time, the service of launching goods directly from Chittagong to Italy was started. The service was launched by Italian freight forwarder Reef Line and its affiliate Calypso Compania de Navigation. The company has so far imported and exported goods on two ships five times. It took 18 to 20 days. Commodity Supply AG, a Swiss supplier, then announced the launch of direct shipping services to two more European destinations next month. They are landing three ships next month to transport container goods directly from Chittagong to Spain and the Netherlands.
The port of Chittagong is cooperating in the policy of launching direct shipping service. One organization after another has come forward for that. This will reduce the dependence on exports through the ports of Singapore in Singapore and Colombo in Sri Lanka. This is because at present, the container cargo exported from Chittagong to Europe-America is first taken in small container ships to Singapore, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Port Kelang in Malaysia and Tanjung Pelapas. After landing at these four ports, bookings are made and shipped to Europe-America. Thus, it usually takes 24-28 days to transport container goods from Chittagong to Singapore or Sri Lanka. However, due to delays in getting bookings on big ships in Singapore or Sri Lanka since Corona, in some cases this time is taking more than 30 to 35 days.
Chittagong Port Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Shahjahan said it is possible to deliver goods exported to Bangladesh to foreign buyers in less time through direct shipping services. Priority is being given to direct shipping services to take the export sector forward. We are cooperating with those who are taking initiative.
The ships that are being unloaded under the new service have comparatively higher container carrying capacity. The San Alfonso ship has a capacity of 1,819 single containers. In addition, MV Amo is capable of carrying 1,730 single containers and "BBC Finland" is capable of carrying 1,501 single containers.
Syed Nazrul Islam, first vice-president of BGMEA, said, the more direct shipping services are introduced, the more the country's garment sector will be ahead of the competitors. If the number of ships under the service increases, it will be a complete success.
|Source: Online/SZK
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