Chattogram-China new shipping line opens

A shipping line on the Chattogram-China maritime route launched operation with the anchorage of a Chinese goods-carrying vessel at Chattogram port on Monday (September 16).

“The first ship on this route MV Kota Angun, carrying 552 containers from Port of Ningbo-Zhushan of China, anchored at at Chattogram port jetty-13 on Monday morning,” said Chittagong Port Authority Assistant Terminal Manager (Control) Rajib Chowdhury.

A consortium of ships owned by multiple organizations has joined in this service named China-Chattogram Express (CCE), Rajib said.

MV Kota Angoon sailed from the Port of Ningbo-Zhushan, one of the world's busiest seaports of China, on September 7 and reached Chattogram in nine days via Shanghai and Shekou.

Previously a goods-carrying mother vessel used to take 20 to 25 days to reach Chattogram Port from China as those vessels travelled through Singapore, Malaysia or Colombo.

Syed Mohammad Arif, President of the Shipping Agent Association said, “The new route would help improve our trade with China. Bangladesh imports machineries and raw materials for garment manufacturing and export sector from China while Bangladesh’s export basket include jute yarn, hide and processed hair.”

A lot of goods are imported from China to Bangladesh. So operating a direct ship on the China-Chittagong route may be quite potential, he observed.