In an effort to evaluate the potential of major ports on the east coast of India for the third country export-import (EXIM) trade, a composite team of 16 delegates from Bangladesh will tour the Chennai Port on Saturday, to assess its technical feasibility, commercial viability, and infrastructure, firsthand.
The visit marks the beginning of a comprehensive tour that will cover the ports at Krishnapatnam, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, and Haldia from July 6 to July 12. After the evaluation, the team may necessitate modifications to the existing Coastal Shipping Agreement and the Standard Operating Procedure for Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) between India and Bangladesh.
The delegates will be accompanied by officials from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPS&W), Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).