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Suez Canal blockade: Exporters' bodies to identify cargo for priority movement
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SME Times News Bureau | 27 Mar, 2021
As efforts are underway to free a giant container ship stuck in the Suez
Canal, the Indian government in discussion with the stakeholders has
decided that the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO),
Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and Agricultural
and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) will
jointly identify cargo, particularly perishable cargo, for priority
movement.
The exporters' bodies will also work with the shipping lines for the priority movement.
The
government has come up with a four-point plan to deal with the
situation arising from the blockage of Suez Canal. The plan was chalked
out in a meeting convened by the Logistics Division, Department of
Commerce, Government of India on Friday.
The meeting was chaired
by Pawan Agarwal, Special Secretary (Logistics) and attended by the
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, ADG Shipping, Container
Shipping Lines Association (CSLA) and Federation of Indian Export
Organisations (FIEO).
Apart from the prioritisation of cargo, the
plan outlined that shipping lines have been advised through CSLA to
explore the option of re-routing of ships via the Cape of Good Hope. It
was pointed that such re-routing usually takes 15 additional days' time.
CSLA
also assured that the freight rates as per existing contracts will be
honoured. A request has been made to the shipping lines to maintain
stability in freight rates during the period of this crisis. It was
noted that the situation is temporary and is unlikely to have a
long-lasting impact, said an official statement.
"Once the
blockage is over, it is expected that some bunching may take place,
especially at the ports of JNPT, Mundra and Hazira. Ministry of Ports,
Shipping and waterway assured to issue an advisory to these ports so as
to gear up arrangements and ensure efficient handling during the
forthcoming busy period," it said.
The Commerce Ministry statement noted that the blockage of Suez Canal since March 23 is seriously hitting the global trade.
This
route is used for Indian exports or imports worth $ 200 billion to and
from North America, South America and Europe. It includes petroleum
goods, organic chemicals, iron & steel, automobile, machinery,
textiles and carpets, handicrafts including furniture, leather goods
among others.
It was noted in the meeting that over 200 vessels
are waiting on the North and South sides of the Suez Canal and about 60
vessels are getting added to the queue on a daily basis.
If two
more days are taken before the efforts result in clearance of the canal
(digging on both sides, extra barges being added on every high tide and
tugboats to straighten the stuck vessel), the total backlog created
would be about 350 vessels. It is estimated that this backlog should
take about a week's time to clear out. It was decided in the meeting to
closely monitor the situation, it said.
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