Exporter or shipping companies can bring in ready-made garments to the port yard 24 hours before the specified ship scheduled to leave the port. Earlier there was a rule to complete all the loading or shipping process 48 hours before.
The Chittagong Port Authority has taken this decision after a meeting with a delegation of BGMEA, so that all export-oriented consignments can be shipped.
Chittagong Port Authority’s circular mentions that following the application of BGMEA, this ‘cut of time’ of ships has been relaxed only in the case of export containers of ready-made garment products.
In addition, in certain cases, port authorities have allowed RMG export containers to be loaded up to six hours before the vessel leaves the port. This decision will be effective from October 1 to February 29, 2024.
All products exported through Chittagong port are brought from different parts of the country to the private inland container depot of Chittagong. After loading these goods in the container, they are taken to the hook point (from where the container is picked up) at the port yard as per the ship’s schedule.
A time limit is fixed so that no export cargo is left behind on the ship leaving the port. Many times, due to shortage of containers or various problems there is delay in loading the goods at the inland depot of Chittagong.
Then the ship would miss the container arriving late at the port. By relaxing the ‘cut off time’, the risk of missing shipments of RMG goods will be greatly reduced.
