New ships are being added to import goods directly from China

Chittagong port. File Photo

Another new container service is being launched from Chinese ports to Chittagong port. Mediterranean Shipping Company or MSC, the world's leading shipping company based in Switzerland, is launching this new service called 'Bengal Service'. The service is scheduled to start on April 27 with the ship 'MSC Kaimi' from the port of Hong Kong.

At present, 19 ships are carrying container goods from China to Chittagong via Singapore-Malaysia port. Apart from this, a large number of container goods were first shipped from China to ports in Singapore and Malaysia. Later the ships were changed and brought to Chittagong port. It takes more time. That is why importers are more interested in transporting goods directly from China. The 19 ships that are currently carrying container goods from China to Chittagong Port directly to Chittagong Port, pass through the ports of Singapore and Malaysia but do not unload any container from the ship. Instead, after a few hours break in Singapore and Malaysia, they loaded some containers and left for Chittagong port.

With the launch of a new service called Bengal Service, the number of ships plying directly from China to Chittagong port will increase. Importers say that if the number of ships increases, the cost of shipping by sea will be reduced in time.

A large part of Bangladesh's imports come from China. In the fiscal year 2020-21, the country imported goods worth USD 12.92 billion or about Tk 1 lakh 9 thousand crore. Export-oriented garment raw materials, capital equipment and commercial products — all come from China. Most of these products are imported in containers.

The garment sector will get the most benefits if Bengal service is introduced. Because a large part of the raw material for clothing comes from China. Syed Nazrul Islam, first vice-president of BGMEA, said the garment industry is one of the major beneficiaries of direct shipping. This is because it reduces the import of raw materials but saves five to seven days. The more ships will start direct service from China, the more the garment sector will benefit.

It is known that initially Bengal service was started with four ships but six ships will be added to this service in phases. Ships operated under the service will carry container goods from Hong Kong ports to China's Yantin and Seku ports. After that these ships will return to Chittagong by loading more containers from the ports of Singapore and Malaysia. Similarly, these ports will go to China from Chittagong.

Ajmer Hossain Chowdhury, Assistant General Manager of Mediterranean Shipping Company, said that with the new service, it will be possible to ship container goods from China to Chittagong in 12-13 days. It will take 15 days from Hong Kong. The importers of Bangladesh will get the goods in less than 8-10 days.

 Shipping company officials said the service of shipping container goods directly from China was launched seven years ago. Currently, six ships of the world's second-largest shipping company, the Marsk Line, are transporting goods directly from China via Malaysia. Five ships of South Korea's two international shipping lines (Hyundai and SinoCor) also transport goods from China. Two shipping companies, SITC Container Lines and CNC, are jointly operating a service called China Bangladesh Express with five ships. Cosco Shipping Line is carrying container goods from China with three ships.

Ocean International, a subsidiary of Hyundai Merchant Marine of Korea, a subsidiary of Continental Traders in Chittagong. Continental Traders is also a local agent of Cosco in China. Ahsan Iqbal Chowdhury, Managing Director of Continental Traders, said that most of the raw materials in the garment sector are coming directly under the direct shipping service. The more such services are expanded, the more the country's export-oriented sector will benefit.

|Source: Online/KSU