The resumption of transhipment business coupled with cargo diversion from the hinterland seems to have helped DP World Kochi in garnering good business last month.
This is evident from the record achieved by the terminal operator in July by handling 37,363 TEU’s (Twenty-foot equivalent units), bettering the 36,487 TEU’s set in June 2011 at the ICTT Vallarpadam. The company also set a record by handling 47 vessels in July, the maximum number of vessels handled in any given month.
With the Dredging Corporation of India taking charge of capital dredging at the ICTT basin, for the first time vessels occupied more than 540 metres of the berth and three vessels berthed at ICTT simultaneously on Tuesday. Sources at the port said that re-commencement of transhipments and diversion of major volume from the hinterland has been the primary factor, making it possible for DP World to achieve this feat. Kochi Customs had simplified the procedure for transhipment at ICTT also for clearance of ICD containers by rail and road.
The timing of the procedural change can be seen as a good thing for ICTT as it coincided with the raw cashew import season from Africa. This made it possible for the terminal operator to handle mainliners of PIL, CMA CGM, ZIM and Maersk line from Africa, the sources said adding that several lines also re-started transhipments to Tuticorin and Mangalore by carrying out a record exchange of 2,603 TEU’s. The facilitation centre at Walayar, jointly operated by DP World Kochi and the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for the first time handled more than 1,000 trucks this month, indicating the massive inflow of cargo from the hinterland. It was also a month in which the terminal operator handled a full rake of export containers from Tuticorin and a few more are believed to be in the pipeline, the sources added.