Shipping ministry to seek cabinet backing to wind down port rate regulator Live Mint The shipping ministry will seek the cabinet’s approval to amend a key law to wind up the tariff regulator for 11 of the 12 state-owned ports, days after an expert panel questioned the need for such a body. The panel headed by former finance secretary Vijay Kelkar, formed to review and revive public-private partnerships in infrastructure, in its report made public on 28 December called for scrapping of the Tariff Authority for Major Ports. Such a move, the report said, will allow these ports to usher in a market-driven pricing regime and put them on par with private ports that are free to set rates. The unpredictable rate regime has dampened investor interest in these ports. “The government has taken a final decision on winding down Tamp,” a shipping ministry official said asking not to be named. “We are moving ahead on that. The cabinet note is almost ready on scrapping the rate regulator,” he said.

Kandla Port to get upgrades, new container operator JOC Mumbai-based J.M. Baxi Group is reportedly the final bidder for a public-private-partnership contract to upgrade, operate and maintain existing container terminal infrastructure at the Port of Kandla, a major, state-owned port complex on India’s west coast. Port sources told JOC.com that the group, through its subsidiary International Cargo Terminals and Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., offered a revenue share of 10.44 percent from the revamped facility as annual royalty to the landlord port. The port authority developed the container-handling facility at berths 11 and 12 through a 30-year concession awarded to ABG Kandla Container Terminal, a joint venture between domestic infrastructure firm ABG Infralogistics and Singapore’s PSA International, in June 2006. ABG held a 51 percent stake in the endeavor.The port trust is expected to issue an official statement on awarding of the new contract shortly.

Chennai Port eyes 25% rise in rail shipment of containers Economic Times Aimed at stepping up its operational efficiency, the Chennai Port Trust plans to raise shipping of containers through the Railways by 25 per cent, a top official said here today. The Port Trust last year (2014-15) handled 1.50 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). As of December 31, 2015, it was 1.20 million TEUs. "Currently, about seven per cent of shipment of containers are handled by the railways. We expect that to increase by 25 per cent," Chennai Port Trust Deputy Chairman Cyril V George said. He was speaking to reporters after flagging off the first batch of containers through trains operated by the Gurgaon-based Distribution Logistics Infrastructure (DLI). "We flagged off the first train service to Marigold CFS (container freight station), Bengaluru. There is a potential to ship 2.50 lakh containers a year," George said. Trains will be operated from Jawahar Dock on the port premises.

Port Development To Propel Andhra's Growth: Chandrababu Naidu NDTV Andhra Pradesh will have port-led development with focus on export manufacturing, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Monday. If information technology and knowledge economy was his mantra for development of Hyderabad as the then chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, this time coastal development tops his agenda, he said. Unveiling his vision before the investors and captains of industry at CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, he vowed to make sunrise Andhra Pradesh the most preferred destination for investments. The 974-km-long coastal belt and a central location on east coast is the state's biggest advantage. Stating that the ports of Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram and Krishnapatnam are doing very well, Mr Naidu said during the current financial year the state will become number two to Gujarat in handling cargo.

Nepal keen on routing cargo through Vizag Port The Hindu Steps would be taken to declare Visakhapatnam Port as an alternative EXIM gateway for Nepal, a trade delegation from that country announced on Monday. The delegation was impressed by the facilities available at the Visakhapatnam Port and the assurance of being allocated a separate yard to facilitate customs handling. The delegation was led by Minister for Commerce Deepak Bohara, Nepal Ambassador Deep Kumar Upadyaya, and Joint Secretary Pokhral. Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu, in his presentation, explained the existing facilities and infrastructure of the port and said that the port had spent nearly Rs.5,000 crore for modernisation and expansion during the last few years. With the ongoing developments, the port’s capacity will be enhanced to more than 125 million tonnes from the current level of 93 million tonnes.

Krishnapatnam Port signs MoU with Andhra, Petrogas for LNG project Business Standard Krishnapatnam Port Company announced on Monday an agreement with Petrogas Pvt Ltd and the government of Andhra Pradesh for setting up a regasification terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Krishnapatnam is a privately built and operated port in Andhra’s Nellore district, about 190 km north of Chennai. It is 92 per cent owned by the Hyderabad-based CVR Group. Petrogas is a joint venture of Isomeric Holdings, Malaysia, and Vijayawada-based LEPL Ventures. Petrogas will investment Rs 3,000 crore at Krishnapatnam for the LNG terminal. The latter’s capacity is to be five million tonnes and then be doubled over the next three years. Commercial operations will commence within three years, said Krishnapatnam. “The infrastructure story of Andhra Pradesh is set on a promising horizon and projects of such scale will provide significant boost to the country’s trade potential” said Chinta Sasidhar, managing director at the port company.

Govt-industry tie-up can bring faster anti-dumping action Business Standard There is no point in complaining that the authorities in the US and European Union move faster than their counterparts in India in introducing anti-dumping duties on products that could harm domestic industries. But, as commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, ahead of any anti-dumping action research and inquiry on it take up to 18 months. Scrutiny leading to anti-dumping measures relates to establishing beyond challenge that the targeted exporting country was indulging in direct and unapparent subsidisation of products with the objective purpose of selling these abroad. New Delhi admits in the intervening long period between the filing of an application by a domestic industry to the designated authority in the department of commerce and the levy of anti-dumping duty by the finance ministry that much injury could be caused to the industry constituents concerned. Logistics Chennai,International Freight Forwarders in Chennai, Custom Clearance Agents in Chennai , Checkout http://www.jupiterseaair.com