The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has launched a direct shipping service from Chittagong Port to China. The ship MSC KYMEA will pick up more containers from Singapore on the way and is scheduled to reach Hong Kong. To facilitate the growing bilateral trade between Bangladesh and China, MSC has launched a shipping service called “Bengal Express” on the China-Bangladesh route, to facilitate direct shipping between the two countries.
Shipping lines operating on this route will pick cargo from the Hong Kong port and the Chinese ports of Yantian and Shekou. On the return trip to Chattogram port, these ships will load up more containers from the ports of Singapore and Malaysia.
MSC will initially operate four cargo ships on this route and two more ships will be added to the fleet subsequently. At least one ship carrying goods from China will arrive at Chattogram port per week.
The container ship MSC KYMEA arrived at Chattogram port jetty on 20 May with containers full of imported goods. On Tuesday afternoon, the ship left for China carrying a total of 1,292 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), of which 439 units were full of apparel goods. Currently, it takes about 25 days for regular ships to reach Chattogram port by loading and unloading goods at transshipment ports. MSC officials shared that the ships will not drop cargo at the transhipment hubs, but will pick cargo from there, so the cargo from China will reach Chattogram in 13 days. This will allow importers to transport goods in less time and at lower costs.
