Bhubanswar, Apr 4: To gear up the handling process of annual cargo, the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) has begun coastal trade operation with Bangladesh. This trade pact has led to an improvement in the bilateral sea-route trade and commerce activities that has increased the annual revenue of the port. The coastal trade has begun with shipments of three containerized cargoes already taken place. Further, the coastal shipments with the neighbouring country are expected to go up further. The Chairman, Paradip Port Trust, Rinkesh Ray informed this. He also stated that the Union Ministry’s initiative of shipping possibly opened trade doors with Bangladesh. In this regard, the Bangla delegation under the country’s shipping director had an interaction with Paradip port trust (PPT) officials in which they focused on transshipment and coastal shipping between the two countries. Other ports like Vishakhapatnam, Haldia and Kolkata are also being benefited because of the the sea-route trade between both the countries. As per an agreement signed between the two countries, Bangladeshi coastal vessels are used commercially for transporting cargoes to and from India through Chittagong and Mongla ports. Bangladesh has also suggested a protocol for transshipment of Indian cargo by using the conventional coastal vessels. The bilateral coastal shipping is covering import, export and carrying of transit goods between the two countries. Also, the cost of transportation of goods from Bangladesh to India by road route is always on a higher side but the transportation of goods from the sea-route is comparatively less.
