Welcome to Shipping Online!   [Sign In]
Back to Homepage
Already a Member? Sign In
News Content

Tighter gate-in rules at India's JNPT for DPE shipments

DIRECT port entry (DPE) shipments moving via Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust's (JNPT) terminals will be subjected to tighter gate-in rules by Indian customs authorities, in an effort to boost productivity at the state-owned port.

A customs' decree stated that any DPE container that has showed up in the customs processing site alongside truck parking space must be loaded onto the ship for which that box has been booked, reportedIHS Media.



The agency said although exporters or their agents have primary responsibility for transportation of such goods into designated parking areas prior to in-gate cut-off hours, the respective terminal operator is required to ensure containers with pre-gate clearance do not miss planned sailings.



"If any consignment is still shut out due to any reason, [not on the part of the exporter] - [it is up to the] terminal operator and shipping line to ensure that the said consignment is exported at the earliest next opportunity, without burdening the exporter [with] any additional cost," the notice stated.



Carriers leaving containers behind on the dock is a common occurrence, especially during the peak season, as terminals work under pressure due to on-and-off gate congestion and process delays. However, shipper complaints over the issues have surged in recent weeks at JNPT and other Indian ports owing to online system glitches that accompanied the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax.



With the DPE procedure, shippers need not route factory-stuffed, ready export containers through an off-site container freight station (CFS) for verification and obtain a "let export order," which is otherwise a mandatory requirement for all exports.



Conceptually, DPE is similar to the direct port delivery scheme, where import containers are delivered to consignees direct from the wharf within 48 hours of landing instead of routing through an off-site CFS for customs clearance. Together, these programmes have reduced dwell times at JNPT from three days to 2.5 days.



To further boost productivity, JNPT plans to standardise carting hours for export cargo from four days at present to three days at all terminals, as well as cut free storage time for all railed cargo to and from inland container depots (ICDs) from seven days to three days.
About Us| Service| Membership and Fee| AD Service| Help| Sitemap| Links| Contact Us| Terms of Use