The Hindu Business Line : Tea shipments through Amingaon ICD hit by shortage of empties

EXCEPT the Shipping Corporation of India, the other shipping lines (all foreign), participating in the shipments of tea through the Amingaon (Guwahati) inland container depot (ICD) have been hit by an acute shortage of the empties at the ICD end. The shortage is believed to have been caused by the shortage of slots in the mainline vessels operating between the Far East and the UK/Continent and other Western destinations.

Thus a few days ago, SCI was having 233 empties at the ICD end as compared to 13 by P&O, 10 by Maersk, 26 by K Line and 12 by APL, according to shipping sources.

The boom in exports from the Far East to the Western countries is believed to have created the shortage of slots in the West-bound mainline vessels. As a result, the exports from the Indian-subcontinent, transported to the hub ports by feeder vessels, are not getting enough priority from the mainline operators and, therefore, slots in the mainline vessels.

The shortage of the empties at the ICD end has also caused concern to the importers. The UK-based buyers are understood to have sounded to local tea exporters expressing their concern and making inquiries about the fate of the shipments.

Meanwhile, till the seventh rake (which arrived at Haldia dock on August 19), a total of 473 TEUs moved out of Amingaon ICD, comprising 364 TEUs for the UK/Continent and 109 TEUs for the non-UK destinations. SCI has the largest share in the shipments to the UK/Continent - 218 TEUs or around 60 per cent, followed by P&O, 37 per cent (134 TEUS), Maersk 1.6 per cent (six TEUs), APL one per cent ( four TEUs) and K Line less than a per cent ( two TEUs).

The total shipments to the non-UK destinations in seven rakes have been 109 TEUs in which K Line has the largest share 26 TEUs, followed by Maersk, 24 TEUs, P&O, 23 TEUs, SCI, 22 TEUs, and APL 14 TEUs, the sources add.