PIL to add Bangladesh/China link

PIL to add Bangladesh/China link    PIL is to launch a service to directly connect Bangladesh with China, according to a news report from the South Asian nation over the weekend.
   American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data shows no current services linking the Bangladeshi ports of Chittagong or Mongla with any Chinese port. In fact, the two ports aren’t directly connected to any ports in Europe or North America, showing how reliant they are on transshipment in ports like Singapore, Port Kelang and Colombo.
   The report by the Financial Express (Bangladesh) suggests the rotation will include Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Singapore, Laem Chabang and Chittagong.
   PIL country manager Mohammad Rafiqul Islam said the service will cut transit time and costs for Bangladesh exports by eliminating transshipment at Singapore or Port Kelang. He estimated transit times would be shaved by about six days, to 15 to 18 days total, while Bangladeshi exporters could save $120 per container in costs through the direct link.
   The report said exporters have been hurt by the need for transshipment, with feeder space sometimes scarce, leading to cargo sitting on docks for days.
   The service could also feed growing demand for Chinese exports to Bangladesh. China now accounts for more than 20 percent of Bangladesh’s imports. Meanwhile, China imported $400 million worth of goods from Bangladesh in 2010, mostly raw material for the textile and apparel trades.