KPCT, Maersk launch weekly mainline service to China

The Dollar Business Bureau

Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal (KPCT) has launched a weekly mainline service to China which will be operated by Maersk line in partnership with Hanjin Shipping of Korea. Maersk Line MD Franck Dedenis and KPCT Director and CEO Anil Yendluri inaugurated the mainline service at Krishnapatnam Port on Monday.

This new service will offer competitive services to the exporters and importers of South Indian states particularly Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to transit bulk cargo to the ports of China, South-East Asia, and other Asian countries. Currently, it takes 40-45 days for the cargo from South India to reach the consignee in China. This will be reduced by 50% with the launch of the direct mainline service.

Anil Yendluri said that Bangalore, Hyderabad and few cities of AP attract huge volumes of container cargo from China. Due to its strategic location, the KPCT is an ideal gateway for these shipments. Chinese suppliers are also keen to use this port as a gateway for their shipments as  it provides a cost-efficient route for the traders based in South India.

According to him, the service has been started in response to the strong demand from the South Indian traders mainly exporting chilies, cotton, minerals, and granite to the ports of Shanghai, Qingdao, Nansha, Xingagang, Busan, Singapore and other South-East Asian countries.

AP government is committed to establishing solar power capacity under the solar power programme. Being the closest port to the solar parks in AP and Telangana, KPCT provides the fastest transit of solar panels from Shanghai at around 15 days, KPCT Director Vinita Venkatesh said.

She further said that the importers and exporters of AP, Telangana and Karnataka will be benefitted by this weekly mainline service, which will offer the most cost effective and time efficient shipping to countries like China, Korea, and Singapore.