Export container suspended to clear backlog

CHENNAI: Panicked over the open threat made by the port users to shift their export and import cargoes to other ports if the congestion issue was not resolved immediately, the Chennai Port Trust management has decided to suspend receiving export containers at its two terminals for four days from Thursday to facilitate speedy clearance of thousands of imported containers lying on its premises.The proposed suspension of trade is the second such drastic step to suspend export containers by the Chennai Port in the past 10 months. In February this year, the port management had suspended export of containerised cargo for four days after heavy congestion crippled the functioning of the Chennai Port and traders moved their goods to neighbouring ports.It may be noted that Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan had directed the ChPT management to take immediate steps to ease congestion after port users threatened to skip the historic port for its callous attitude in solving the issue.According to exim (export/import) sources, though the suspension would allow the management to clear its thousands of imported containers lying inside the port for over a month, it could adversely affect the export of Christmas and New Year shipments to various European Union destinations.“Had the port management improved and maintained the condition of its (entry/exit) gates and roads regularly, current situation of forced suspension of trade for four long days could not have developed,” a regular port user told Express.Instead of introducing trade suspension as a big measure to reduce congestion in the port, the management should focus on improving the condition of its gates and road for uninterrupted cargo evacuation in future, another port user said.According to port trust sources, about 2,500-3,000 containers could be evacuated every day in the four-day suspension from both the private terminals.As on Wednesday, both the terminals recorded an inventory of over 19,000 containers and if the evacuation plan goes as planned, it could considerably reduce the congestion at the terminals and leave the inventory at a negligible level.