India to pilot run transshipment of export cargo from Bangladesh

Nov 6, 2018: India and Bangladesh have inked a milestone pact to use Kolkata and Haldia ports for transhipment of export cargo. For this purpose, the Indian government will now do a pilot run on transhipment of export cargo from Bangladesh to other countries through Land Customs Stations (LCSs) to Kolkata port and airport, in containers or closed bodied trucks.

With all decks cleared for the transit of export cargo from Petrapole to Kolkata Port and Nhavasheva Ports/Kolkata Airport for better cargo evacuation and to improve logistics efficiency of the region, a pilot program will be initiated for a period of six months, to gain experience and obtain feedback from industry, so as to build a regulation which will facilitate as well as safeguard against any cargo diversion.

According to the procedure, a Bill of Transshipment for goods transported by road or rail to be transshipped to the port or as air cargo for export to other countries will have to be filed at the LCS by the shipping line or airline or their authorised representative. The shipping line or airline intending to carry the cargo to be transshipped will be at liberty to authorize a Customs Broker for filing the Bill of Transshipment. The import report filed by the transporter (for goods moving by road or rail) will specify the port/ air cargo through which the cargo is meant to be transshipped and state the destination port or airport of discharge. No cargo meant for discharge in India is permitted to be brought in the same truck/container/wagon, carrying the transhipment cargo. Finally, the Bill of Transshipment will be presented in triplicate to the Superintendent of Customs for permission.

India-Bangladesh trade has grown 38 per cent to $9.1 billion over the last four years. On a year-on-year basis, the trade grew 24 per cent in 2017-18. This was followed by nearly 22 per cent growth in April-July 2018.