• New service links Korea & China
• To focus on servicing auto industry in Chennai

The first Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) vessel of the recently launched Asia Chennai Service (ACS), San Isidro, called at Chennai Port’s DP World Chennai Container Terminal on September 3.

It came in with 1,285 tonnes of imports and sailed off on September 5 with export loading of 934 tonnes.

At hand to welcome the vessel at the terminal were Mr Jean Johnson, General Manager, HMM-Chennai, Mr Sunil, Branch Manager (Chennai), HMM and Mr Ramakrishnan, Operations Manager, HMM-Chennai.

Partnering HMM in this new direct, fixed-day, weekly service from Chennai to Korea and China, which was launched on August 21, are Bengal Tiger Line (BTL) and Tokyo Senpaku Kaisha (TSK) Line, says an HMM release.

The partners have deployed four vessels of 1,200 TEUs capacity each in ACS, with HMM and BTL jointly providing 3 and TSK 1.

Its port rotation is: Chennai, Port Klang, Singapore, Ulsan, Busan, Shanghai, Chiwan. According to the release, the guaranteed fast connectivity of the service will immensely benefit importers and exporters operating out of Chennai Port and its hinterland.

In order to exploit the export boom from Chennai, ACS has a dedicated arrival/sailing (Monday/Wednesday) schedule, carrying all Europe and US cargo for Singapore transhipment along with the long haul cargo to Korea and China.

According to Mr J. I. Chung, Managing Director of HMM India Pvt. Ltd, this new service will facilitate catering to the bullish cargo potential from Korea and China to India, with the focus being on servicing the automobile industry in Chennai.

Source : Exim News Service - CHENNAI, Sept. 9

Mayur C. Contractor elected Sr Vice-President of FIATA

MR Mayur C. Contractor has been elected Senior Vice-President of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, also known as FIATA.

The election results were declared after the concluding session of the FIATA World Congress 2007, which was held here from October 18 to 22.

In addition to being a leading player in the Indian freight forwarding industry, where he has held key positions in industry bodies such as the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI), Mr Contractor is also the Chairman of the Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders (IIFF), the only institution in the SAARC region to offer the FIATA Diploma Programme in Freight Forwarding.

Source : Exim News Service - DUBAI, Oct. 23