Vizhinjam gets its first import container: What this means for the gateway port's EXIM journey

Months after the Vizhinjam Port began full-fledged export-import (EXIM) operations, it received its first import container on Saturday aboard the MSC Sabrina III (IMO: 8714205).

Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) Managing Director Jeromic George flagged off the truck carrying the import container out of the port.

This marks a major boost for cargo handling at the multi-purpose gateway port, which is crucial to the state government's ₹400-crore Mission Samudra plan to develop Keralam into a port state.

The import container contains engineered building boards sourced from Ningbo in China. These are used in the construction sector as an alternative to traditional plywood. This shipment was booked by BSG Logistics and Ship Chandlers Private Ltd, a startup in the city, for the Thiruvananthapuram-based Altair Group, a PTI report said.

This enables goods to be directly unloaded at Vizhinjam, undergo customs clearance and be transported to markets across Keralam. This not only reduces importers' dependence on other ports, but also cuts the time involved in cargo flow, the port authorities said in a statement.

Saturday's milestone also comes weeks after the first eight export containers from the port set sail for Spain's Valencia aboard the MSC Beryl (IMO: 9467392). Two of these containers were from Thiruvananthapuram, while the rest were transported from Kochi by road.

This September 1 milestone was also significant because the Panama-flagged container ship is a part of MSC's Himalaya Express (HEX) service, boosting its export connectivity with links to ports like Las Palmas, Sines, Valencia, Barcelona and Gioia Tauro.

After the commencement of EXIM operations from August 18 onwards, the Keralam government in September began work on a dedicated container freight station (CFS) for the port under its 100-day action plan.

This will enable it to handle not only full container load (FCL) shipments—or containers with cargo used by only one shipper—but also Less Than Container Load (LCL) shipments, or containers with cargo used by multiple shippers.

The ₹25 crore CFS, which will be built by Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Limited (KSIE) on nearly 5 acres of land at the Travancore Spinning Mills (TSM) compound in Balaramapuram, will begin full-scale operations in February 2027.

Adani Ports had also planned to build a 100-acre container freight station (CFS) as and when EXIM operations pick up and stabilise at the port later on.