Govt. plans $10B plan to boost State Agri Export AND MORE…
A maritime news and analysis weekly, to help you make informed decisions in the weeks ahead.
Issue #162: 18 Aug, 2020
Many shipments at various ports are delayed or cancelled due to heavy rains. Rail services are affected in connecting major ports like JNPT and Mundra. Road transport from most ICDs has also been impacted.
Shipwaves would like to advise all customers that JNPT port is facing operational issues also due to shortage of three cranes which got damaged last week. It is therefore advisable to plan the shipment through other two ports. Please contact Shipwaves to plan your shipments with most competitive rates and secured connections.
India deferred the date for the requirement of a certificate of inspection from export inspection agencies for exporting rice to European countries to January 1, 2021.The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) amended the export policy.
Shipwaves would like to advise all customers that Export to remaining European countries (except Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) will require Certificate of Inspection from Export Inspection Council / Export Inspection Agency for export from January 1, 2021 which DGFT said in the notification.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) deferred the implementation of Sea Cargo Manifest and Transshipment Regulations (SCMTR) to September 30, 2020 from the prior deadline August 1.The new regulation stipulates changes in timelines and requirements for advance notice by shipping lines (vessels) arriving in India and exports through shipping lines (vessels) out of India.
Shipwaves would like to inform all customers that new system of SCMTR introduces following change
1. Arrival Manifest in place of IGM
2. Departure Manifest in place of EGM
3. Arrival Transhipment Manifest in place of SMTP
4. Departure Transhipment Manifest in place of Truck Summary
Commerce Min suggests expanding MEIS successor scheme to support exporters
After a significant push back by exporters and domestic industry against the government’s sudden decision to cut down on the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) scheme, the Commerce Department has now suggested to the Revenue Department that some broad benefits be continued under MEIS’s planned successor scheme. Senior sources say the ministry has repeatedly pushed back against the decision to cap the MEIS scheme at just Rs 9,000 crore for the April-December period and the unilateral suspension of disbursals of benefits. Officials say, the Commerce Department has now proposed that benefits under the upcoming Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme be expanded from what had been planned earlier, to give exporters much needed support.
Panel proposes a $10 billion state-led export plan to boost agriculture exports
A panel under the 15th Finance Commission (FC) proposed a state government-led export plan to boost agricultural exports that would involve investments of $10 billion, said a release on Friday (7 AUG). The plan focused on 22 crops that would add value to the international value chain, and would follow a demand-driven approach with anchoring investments from the private sector, while the government played an enabling role. The funding for inputs, infrastructure and processing could come from a convergence of existing government schemes, allocations by the FC and private investment, according to the report by the FC’s High Level Group on agricultural exports.
India, Bangladesh traders demand trial run on Sonamura-Daudkandi protocol route
Export and import traders of India and Bangladesh Tuesday demanded a trial run on River Gomati this month itself to operationalise the first Indo-Bangla riverine protocol route of Tripura that connects 90 km of waterbody between Tripura’s Sipahijala district and Daudkandi of Bangladesh.Meanwhile, a high-level team of Bangladeshi officials today surveyed the riverine protocol route but didn’t meet Indian officials during the tour.The Sonamura-Daudkandi route was included in the list of Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) routes that was signed between High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and Bangladesh Shipping Secretary Md. Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury in Dhaka on May 20. Speaking to reporters after a discussion on trade benefits of Sonamura River Port to Daudkandi Port, All Tripura Merchant Association general secretary Sujit Roy said they have had a discussion with Bangladesh traders on issues of exporting and importing goods through the riverine route and proposed a trial run to expedite the operationalisation process.
Adani Ports and SEZ to set up a platform company to hold rail assets
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s biggest private port operator, is setting up a platform company to hold all its rail infrastructure assets and for investing in rail entities. Currently, the firm’s rail assets are held under Adani Logistics Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of APSEZ. Adani Logistics is India’s largest and diversified private train operator holding a Category 1 permit to run container trains across India. “The plan to create a separate platform company for the rail assets is in the early stages; APSEZ will start working on that soon,” a person briefed on the plan said without divulging details. “APSEZ will talk about it after the platform company is set up,” he said.
India to offer land near major ports for solar equipment manufacturing
India plans to offer land near ports for setting up solar equipment manufacturing, in-order to challenge the Chinese firms’ dominance in one of the world’s largest green energy market, said two people aware of the development.With 1.10 lakh hectares of land available across 12 major ports, New Delhi believes that a port location will make solar equipment manufacturing cost-competitive and will also facilitate exports. This also is in sync with India’ port-led development strategy to leverage the country’ 7,600km-long coastline. “The ministries of new and renewable energy (MNRE), and shipping and ports are in talks for offering this land for solar equipment manufacturing. The ports have been asked for the identified land,” said a senior government official cited above requesting anonymity.While India is running the world’s largest solar energy programme, its solar components market is dominated by Chinese companies. Chinese firms supply about 80% of solar cells and modules used here, given their competitive pricing. India imported $2.16 billion worth of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, panels, and modules in 2018–19.
India plans Rs 10,000 cr transshipment port at Great Nicobar Island: PM
India is considering investing Rs 10,000 crore for building a trans-shipment port at Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal to provide shippers with an alternative to similar ports in the region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he inaugurated the first undersea optical fibre project to provide high-speed internet to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “There is a proposal to build a trans-shipment port at Great Nicobar at an estimated expenditure of about Rs 10,000 crore. Large ships can dock once this port is ready,” he said at the inauguration ceremony held through video link. The dedicated container trans-shipment terminal at the strategic port locale in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands along the Bay of Bengal coastline offers two geographical advantages — proximity to the busy east-west international shipping route that can facilitate shorter transits and greater economies of scale, and deep natural water depths that can accommodate the latest generation of mega-ships.
Pandemic drives Maersk’s N. Europe, ME and Subcontinent revamp
Changes to the way that cargo is moved from factories to retail outlets has seen a shift in strategy by Maersk with the development of hub in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that will allow customers greater flexibility in the movement of their goods, said the Danish line.A Maersk spokesman told the pandemic has seen a significant shift of cargo from China to other ports of origin such as in Vietnam and India, and with this change there is a need to have regional hubs where cargo can be consolidated and then transported to selected destinations. Maersk, in close consultation with customers, has made changes that they say will offer “more flexibility and agility,” to the market. That means that shippers can respond to demand as it is needed in the region where it is needed. “This is a trend that we are seeing, and we expect to see a lot more of it,” said the spokesman, referring to the development of an existing hub into a consolidation unit for a number of countries. “Instead of serving customers with one ship we will use two or three ships, and as the cargo travels to the hub the customer can decide where they would like onward distribution to,” he added. The new service configuration will be launched on 7 September, and other details of the changes to the Danish line’s Middle East, Europe and Subcontinent services will be announced closer to that date. The company will suspend the ME1 service operating from North European ports via Saudi Arabia, Dubai, India, Oman and Morocco, will see its last service departure before that date.
Two container carriers resume operations at Beirut port
Container carriers Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Hapag-Lloyd have resumed operations at Beirut port, according to company press releases on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12.Both carriers will start accepting bookings for cargoes to and from Beirut.M/V Mona Lisa, on the Levante Express Service, is expected to call at Beirut on Aug. 14, according to both companies, who are part of the same container alliance. Further, M/V Mona Lisa is expected to deliver cargoes from an earlier vessel that skipped its Aug. 7 Beirut plans and discharged in Damietta instead, said Hapag-Lloyd. Hapag-Lloyd added that the East Med Express Service will reinstate its Beirut call, with CMA CGM Musset arriving on Aug. 15.
Shipwaves wishes you a great week ahead!
Happy Sailing!
