PORT DELAYS in Mumbai have resulted in MSC diverting its regular sailings from the port to Nhava Shevah, with effect from the sailing of MSC Alena last month (July).
Nhava Shevah is situated 25km due east, across the bay on mainland India. Rates and transit time will remain the same. MSC has weekly sailings with an 18-day transit time to Durban.
It was simply a matter of speeding up delivery, says Neville Naidoo, MSC commercial manager for East Africa, Indian Ocean islands and India.
Mumbai has a single container berth, and with the monsoon season upon us, which has a major impact on the port of Mumbai, we decided to make the move.
Nhava Shevah has five gantry cranes, giving us rapid turnaround with no delays whereas we were experiencing up to 12 and 15 day delays at Mumbai last year. He points out that in India 90% of the major lines are using Nhava Shevah, and with local exports having risen by more than 200% in recent years the congestion problem at Mumbai had to be addressed.
The Indian shippers will all tell you they are most satisfied with the handling arrangements at Nhava Shevah, he says.
The majority of lines operating to East and South Africa opted to use Mumbai after South Africa's trade relations with the East opened up five years ago. Now, however, with Maersk following the MSC move, others are expected to join the switch to Nhava Shevah in the near future.
