The Hindu Business Line : Asian shippers' associations to meet in Mumbai

The Asian Shippers Council and the European Shippers Council are believed to be interested in India taking the lead in promoting shippers' movement in the region.

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Kolkata Feb. 14 If current developments are any indication, the representatives of shippers' associations in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will gather in Mumbai some time in May to work out strategies on how to revive shippers' movement in the region.

The All India Shippers Council (AISC), lying dormant for many years, is believed to have agreed to take lead in the matter and hold the meeting of the Association of Shippers Councils of Bangladesh, India Pakistan and Sri Lanka (Ascobips).

Sri Lanka's move

The move, however, has been initiated by the Sri Lanka Shippers Council. One of its past presidents recently came to India and met the AISC top brass explaining to him why time was ripe for reactivating shippers movement in the region in the face of what they felt "onslaught" of the liner shipping. The movement, it was conceded, had been in the dumps for many years.

Right now, the Chairman of Bangladesh Shippers Council is also the Chairman of Ascobips. His term expired in June 2006 but he is still continuing. This is because India, which was to take over, showed no interest, largely due to the lack of initiative of the AISC.

The forthcoming Mumbai meeting, it is learnt, might decide to pass on the baton to India. The Asian Shippers Council and the European Shippers Council too are believed to be interested in India taking the lead in promoting shippers' movement in the region.

Global forum

Meanwhile, for the first time, the newly-formed world body of shippers, namely, Global Shippers' Forum, with participation of the US-based National Industrial Transportation League, European Shippers Council and Asia Shippers Council, will hold its meeting in Brussels in the first week of March to discuss, among other things, the freight transport security, the European Union Competition Rules Liner Shipping and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law draft instrument on the carriage of goods by sea.