Thiruvananthapuram: The first export container from Vizhinjam International Seaport carries 4,000kg of food products, including ready-to-eat items such as jackfruit chips, banana chips and Marayoor jaggery, packed by a Thiruvananthapuram-based exporter.The consignment will be shipped to Valencia, Spain, aboard MSC Marie Leslie after it is flagged off by chief minister V D Satheesan on Aug 18. Suresh Mathew of Nilamels Exports, who is sending items in the first exim container, said exporting through Vizhinjam would save around 20 days. “The container will be shipped directly to Spain, and even if transshipment is required, there will be only one,” he said.Waterline Shipping in association with Aspinwall and Company handled the operation, including preparing the container, processing the documents, sealing it, transporting it to the port and coordinating with MSC. The container has been moved to the port.Mathew had been exporting his consignments of ready-to-eat dry and frozen food through Kochi for years. “The goods must be packed and transported by road to Kochi, where the container may have to wait up to five days for the ship. If the wait exceeds seven days, we have to pay congestion charges. The container also used to undergo multiple transhipments, including at Colombo,” he said.“Vizhinjam is near my factory. It used to take 50days for the consignments to reach Spain. Time is money in shipping,” he added.Sources said that more exporters have shown interest to move their export to Vizhinjam. This include cashew, textiles from Tirupur and pharma products.Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) president S N Raghuchandran Nair said, “We were particular that the first container should carry products made in the city and those associated with Kerala. Several exporters, including those from Tuticorin, Tiruppur and Bengaluru, have shown interest as they can save around Rs 75,000 per container”.
