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Efforts on to avoid transshipment at foreign ports

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, March 12

ABOUT two-third of total containers carrying import/export cargo to and from India are transshipped at foreign ports.

The foreign ports at which Indian containers are transshipped are located very close to international sea routes thereby bigger vessels frequently call at these ports. The foreign ports also have the advantage of economies of scale, which makes it viable to install modern handling equipment. The complexity of custom procedures in India also encourages transshipment of containers at foreign ports.

It is difficult to estimate the loss of economy due to transshipment of containers at foreign ports. However, roughly on each container transshipped at foreign port, the country loses about Rs 5,000.

Efforts are afoot to rectify the situation to avoid losses.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Shipping, Mr Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav, in a written reply to a question from Ms Mabel Rebello in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.