Saudi Export Development Authority held a virtual workshop, in cooperation with Saudi Ports Authority, General Authority of Customs and CMA CGM Company, a workshop to introduce the advantages of the new shipping line linking the Kingdom with the East African countries. The workshop was attended by transport and logistics officials of nearly 60 companies, on Wednesday, Sha'aban 1, 1441H, corresponding to March 25, 2020.
The new shipping line linking Yanbu with East African countries and the world is scheduled to start on April 15, 2020. The first cruise will head to East Africa from King Fahd Industrial Port. This line will provide a regular weekly service with 4 vessels with a capacity of 1100 TEUs per ship.
The city of Yanbu is one of the largest industrial cities in the Kingdom and an important industrial center in the Red Sea region. The new line will boost exports from Yanbu port, which will reduce the costs involved in transporting goods to other ports. The new shipping line will also support the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 to make the Kingdom a global logistical platform.
The workshop dealt with introducing exporters to GEDEX service, a service provided by CMA CGM for shipments between the Mediterranean ports and the United States, in addition to the ports of Kenya and Somalia in the African continent and King Fahd Industrial Port, where the port is adjacent to the largest industrial cities in the Kingdom. The workshop also presented the integrated logistics services from the shipping line, the storage period available from King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, and how customs clearance and transportation of cargo containers and refrigerated containers were handled.
On the other hand, the importance of shipping from the port of Yanbu was highlighted for exporters targeting East African countries, the countries bordering the Mediterranean and the United States, and the sets of decisions presented by General Authority for Ports to serve exporters, which is a reduction in container handling fees of up to 57%, and an increase in the free storage period Up to 30 days for packed and empty containers. It indicated the shipping line's pledge to provide empty containers and to rid the exporter of the trouble of searching for empty containers from other shipping lines.
The workshop also confirmed the possibility of clearance for exporters within two hours from all sea ports in addition to the port of Yanbu and Jeddah through the one time clearance for shipments of food from the port of Yanbu without the need for customs clearance again from the port of Jeddah, and this is one of the services provided in cooperation between General Authority for Ports and General Authority For customs to facilitate shipping operations, and increase connectivity and integration between Saudi ports.
It is worth noting that the port of Yanbu will be equipped to receive all types of containers, including refrigerated containers and other special cargo containers. CMA CGM will also provide empty containers at Yanbu Port starting from 15/04/2020, the date of the first cruise on the "GEDEX" line. Reservations from the port of Yanbu and Jeddah will be made available through the website www.cma-cgm.com , and for those wishing to know the details of the workshop, they can watch the entire workshop through SAUDI EXPORTS YouTube channel.