DP World, UAE Region and Jafza unlocking potential in New Markets for Indian Exports

DUBAI: DP World, UAE Region, the leading trade enabler, and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) showcased their capabilities and offerings at the FoodPro exhibition and conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Chennai to support and facilitate Indian Food & Beverage (F&B) exports.

 

The DP World team engaged with F&B companies looking to expand their businesses outside of India and familiarised them with strategic solutions on offer, including plug-and-play platforms, end-to-end supply chain solutions, value-added services, and an investment platform.

With bilateral trade between India and the UAE surpassing $60 billion in 2018 and poised to grow exponentially, the economic relationship between the countries has strengthened. India is now the second-largest trading partner of the UAE behind China. In support of this activity, Jebel Ali Port and Jafza provide a Multimodal trade, logistics, and industrial hub that further enhances the facility’s role as India’s gateway to the world by facilitating F&B exports and opening new markets for Indian traders. The Jebel Ali hub is the preferred commercial gateway to a region of 3.5 billion people. This access sustains Dubai’s position as the largest re-export centre for food products, catering to a vast import-dependent region from the GCC to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), East Africa and Subcontinent markets.

 

Complementing the port facility is Jafza’s dedicated food and beverage cluster, spreading over 1.2 million square metres, and including 467 businesses from 66 countries, employing more than 5,880 people. Jafza also offers industry-specific value-added services, including packaging, storage, bagging and sorting, stuffing, palletising, and transportation.

The Free Zone also provides bonded and non-bonded zones supporting farm-to-shelf supply chain activities, common user facilities for tea and coffee trading and processing as well as sugar, grains, pulses, meat, edible oil, seeds, and other ready-to-consume food items. It is also home to the world’s largest port-based sugar refinery.

 

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region and CEO of Jafza, said: “We aim to reach out to Indian businesses seeking new markets internationally, especially from the F&B sector. The India-UAE Bridge synergies between DP World, UAE Region and India and the ports and logistics capabilities in both countries enable us to offer integrated supply chain solutions to businesses through our unique end-to-end solutions. 

 

We deliver the most productive, efficient and safe trading solutions by thinking ahead, foreseeing change and innovation.

“The India-UAE Bridge is a mutually beneficial initiative. India is the UAE’s second-largest trade partner, and as the region’s leading trade enabler, we are keen to sustain and build on our excellent partnership and create a relationship that will allow both our countries to prosper. Our flagship facilities, Jebel Ali Port and Jafza, are well-positioned to integrate our assets, providing the best-in-class business and logistics support to Indian companies operating in Jafza.”

APL to enhance Asia Australia Express 1 & 2 Services

SINGAPORE: APL, part of the CMA CGM Group, has announced enhancements to its existing Asia Australia Express 1 (AAX1) and Asia Australia Express 2 (AAX2) services, which will be effective from the 23rd and 24th of October.

 

The revised weekly services will further strengthen connectivity between Southeast Asia and Australia. AAX1 will add two port calls at Laem Chabang and Tanjung Pelapas to facilitate the movement of shipments from Thailand and Malaysia to the Australian main ports. AAX2 will offer extended market coverage across Australia through additional port calls at Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.

 

The first sailing of the enhanced AAX1 service will depart from Laem Chabang on 24 October with the following port rotation: Laem Chabang – Tanjung Pelapas – Singapore – Port Klang – Fremantle – Adelaide – Melbourne – Sydney – Brisbane – Singapore – Port Klang – Tanjung Pelapas – Laem Chabang.

 

The revised AAX2 service will begin sailing from Tanjung Pelepas on 23 October with the following port rotation: Tanjung Pelapas – Port Klang – Singapore – Brisbane – Sydney – Melbourne – Adelaide – Fremantle – Jarkarta – Tanjung Pelapas.

xports should be 1/3rd of USD 5-trillion economy: Pranab Mukherjee August 28 , 2019

NEW DELHI: Former President Pranab Mukherjee recently said exports should constitute one-third of the Government’s ambitious USD five-trillion economy aim. 

 

Mukherjee also said the ongoing trade war between the US and China should give Indian exporters a chance to increase volumes.

“One third of that (USD five-trillion economy target) must come from International Trade. The fight between the two giants (US and China) does give Indian exporters a ray of hope. But, that will be for a short while,” the Bharat Ratna said at a Federation of Indian Export Organisations event.

 

Mukherjee, however, said the increase in exports from India should come from the inherent strength of the economy, not from external circumstances.

 

The Former Finance Minister said that India had long followed the policy of import substitution, which was later “correctly” transformed into that of export promotion. This shift led to higher exports, he said.

 

Commenting on Eastern India, Mukherjee said it will have to be the growth engine of the Country, and called for higher contribution of the manufacturing sector in the overall GDP. Earlier he had said the Government’s target of becoming a USD 5-trillion economy by 2024-25 is possible through prudent fiscal management.

FIEO welcomes initiatives taken by Finance Minister to propel economy

NEW DELHI: Welcoming the slew of measures announced by the Hon'ble Finance Minister, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman; Mr Sharad Kumar Saraf said that announcements made by the Government is aimed at investment stimulus, demand stimulus, Ease of Doing Business and recognition to wealth creators. Besides the roll back of the higher tax on foreign investors and the release of funds to recapitalise public sector banks will go a long-way in easing liquidity and further giving a much needed boost to the economy in such challenging times added Mr Saraf.

Further simplifying the GST system, the Government announced that all pending GST returns for MSME till now will be sorted out in 30 days with future refunds in 60 days. 

This initiative of the Government will further help the trade and industry to overcome their problem of liquidity and capital requirements said Mr Sharad Kumar Saraf.

FIEO President added that recapitalising of banks by Rs 70,000 crore upfront as additional lending and liquidity along with banks being asked to pass on rate cuts through MCLR reduction to further make Rs 5 lakh crore available for credit expansion will further help in creation of liquidity into the system.

The reforms and measures to revive economic growth in such challenging times shows the commitment of the Government under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister on a road map for New India based on inclusive growth.

FIEO sees strong flow of exports from Eastern India August 27 , 2019

NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has said it is expecting a strong flow of exports from Eastern India, especially in the iron and steel sector.

Gems and jewellery, iron and steel, petroleum and marine products occupied some of the top segments with regards to exports from West Bengal, said a statement from the exporters' body.

"We are continuing to endeavour to seek fresh contacts with newer and upcoming markets with import demand so that it can boost export prospects of our members and others to add to the country's foreign exchange", FIEO Eastern Region Chairman Sushil Patwari said.

In the Indian economy, the exports contribute substantially to the country's GDP, he said.

India's GDP in 2018-19 stood at USD 2.7 trillion and during the year, the Country's export of goods touched an all time high of USD 331 billion and USD 204 billion in services, the statement said. On an average, the exports contributed about 20 per cent to India's GDP for the financial year 2018-19, it said

PIL’s fleet attains Environmental Ship Index (ESI) Certification August 27 , 2019

SINGAPORE: Pacific International Lines (PIL), Singapore’s leading containership operator, has successfully attained Environmental Ship Index (ESI) certification for its fleet comprising of half a million TEUs.

This is a major milestone for the Singaporean shipowner ahead of the transition towards the Global Sulphur Cap 2020 from 1 January next year.

ESI certification is an on-going initiative by the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) and it is a voluntary program for ship owners to enroll their vessels – attesting that their vessels exceed the basic standard set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

To qualify for certification, vessels have to demonstrate that their emission level of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and Sulphur Oxide (SOx) and Carbon Oxide (CO2) is well below what is allowed by the IMO. This is a perfect indicator of the environmental performance of the ocean-going vessels and will encourage the adoption of green vessels. 

Many leading shipping lines have since participated in this program and this effort is well-recognised by many leading ports in the world including US, Europe and Asia.

The International Association for Ports and Harbours (IAPH) set up the WPSP in 2017, with the aim of enhancing and coordinating future sustainability efforts of ports worldwide as well as fostering international cooperation with partners in the supply chain.

Mr Teo Siong Seng, Executive Chairman and MD of PIL said: “Sustainability will remain a key part of how we conduct our business and we take protecting our maritime and port environment very seriously. We are doing this not just for ourselves but for the next generation who will be inheriting this earth from us. PIL is proud to be part of the program and we will continue to engage with business, governmental and societal stakeholders to create sustainable value-add to the local communities and beyond.”

 

Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates various projects at VOC Port August 27 , 2019

TUTICORIN: An Export-Import Industrial Park, which can provide employment to a few thousand people, will come up on 702 acres of land close to the VOC Port, Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh L. Mandaviya said recently.

The Union Minister was inaugurating new projects completed with an outlay of Rs. 193 crore and laying the foundation stone for several new projects to be taken up with an outlay of Rs. 13.87 crore, here.

Mr. Mandaviya said the proposed Export-Import Industrial Park would be established on 702 acres of land close to the harbour  employees’ quarters. It would house garment manufacturing units, automobile components manufacturing and oil refinery units and the “master plan” for the project had been prepared.

Besides generating employment to a few thousand people, the Export-Import Industrial Park would ensure increased cargo handling at the VOC Port, he said.

Steps had been taken to deepen and widen the entry point of VOC Port to receive bigger vessels with more number of containers, which were now being shipped from Colombo International Container Transhipment Terminal that handles 2.50 million containers a year. Once the deepening and widening works were completed, the bigger “mother vessels” could take the containers directly from VOC Port to international destinations, the Minister said.

Mr. Mandaviya boarded a tugboat for inspecting the ongoing development works off the VOC Port.

He inaugurated a rail track laid between Hare Island and Marshalling Yard at the cost of Rs. 58.30 crore, coal jetty I upgraded on an outlay of Rs. 50.12 crore and North Cargo Berth established at the cost of Rs. 36.52 crore.

The Minister laid the foundation stone for widening entry point of the seaport from 153 metres to 230 metres at a cost of Rs. 13.11 crore and installation of 140 KW solar power panels at the cost of Rs. 76 lakh.

Chairman of VOC Port T.K. Ramachandran, Vice-Chairman N. Vaiyapuri, former Union Minister of State for Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan, Traffic Manager Prabhakar and senior officials of the seaport were present.