A Direct Port Entry (DPE) facility was inaugurated at the VO Chidambaranar (VOC) port in Thoothukudi to help reduce logistics cost. The VOC Port Trust has developed the DPE facility to enable the export clearance of factory stuffed e-sealed containers on a 24x7 basis resulting in faster and cost-effective export admittance.

The port trust has entered into an MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) to operate the facility for 30 years and the Customs department has also approved operating the DPE facility in the port, says a press release.

Union Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the DPE facility through a video-conference.

It will help in increasing Ease of Doing Business for the exporters as the facility will bring efficiency and reduce dwell time, lower tariff cost and improve the competitiveness of shippers in international trade.

The facility has been created in an area of 18,357 sqm inside the truck parking terminal, which was developed under the ‘Sagarmala’ for issuing customs clearance of export cargo - factory stuffed/e-sealed containers. It can handle 18,000 TEUs per month.

The DPE facility will generate the Let Export Order under a single roof without any hassle. A dedicated team of CWC and Customs and Customs officials, in association with VOC Port, will serve tier-II, tier-III (AEO) certified EXIM clients, says a release.

Earlier, the factory stuffed (self-sealed) containers were taken to one of the container freight stations (CFSs) / Inland Container Depot operating in Thoothukudi. As the CFSs operated between 10 am and 8 pm on working days only, there was considerable delay in admitting the self-sealed export containers into the container terminals. The DPE facility will ensure 24/7, the release said.

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