The International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) here handled a record 37,363 TEUs of cargo in July, bettering the record of 36,487 TEUs set in June last year.
July was also the period in which the terminal handled a record number of vessels in a month — 47, industry sources said here.
Simplification of Customs procedures for clearing transshipment cargo and some cargo diversion from some of the hinterland area have helped the terminal operator DP World. Sources pointed out that simplification of the Customs procedures have coincided with the raw cashew import season that has helped the terminal handle mainline services of PIL, CMA CGM, ZIM and Maersk line from Africa, which accounts for bulk of the raw cashew import into India.
ICTT now also offers mainline weekly calls to Europe, China and the Middle East.
There has been significant increase in the arrival of cargo at Kochi as indicated by the 1,000 lorries cleared this month through the Walayar check-post through the facilitation centre opened at the check-post by Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry and DP World.
The Transshipment Terminal passed another landmark on Tuesday with the arrival of three feeder vessels, occupying a total quay length of 540 metres out of a total of 600 metres.
The achievement indicates the progress of dredging in the basin area that is expected to be completed by the end of August. This is the first time that such length of the terminal is occupied though on an earlier occasion three vessels had arrived together at the terminal, which was inaugurated in February 2011. The vessels that arrived on Tuesday were OEL Dubai, bound for Colombo; Sea Bright, bound for Jebel Ali and coastal cargo carrier Caravel Pride.
