Various shipping lines are growing interested in directly connecting Bangladesh’s Chittagong port to Chinese ports, which would considerably improve freight transport efficiency. This year, two major maritime firms resumed and increased services, and a new partnership launched a direct route.
According to official figures, Bangladesh imported commodities worth $17.8 billion from China in fiscal year 2022-23 while exporting $677 million, indicating a persistent trade deficit. The trend suggests a strong reliance on Chinese imports, which include critical raw materials for industries such as ready-made clothing, which obtain 70% of their inputs from China.
Shipping players emphasise that direct services cut transit time by about 50% compared to routes that include transshipment through Singapore and Malaysia. Currently, at least ten shipping lines operate between Bangladesh and China, including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and AP Moller-Maersk, with MSC recently resuming its Bengal route that connects Chattogram and Chinese ports.
According to representatives from several shipping lines, China accounts for over 60% of all containerised goods heading for Bangladesh. They stated that a significant amount of these shipments from China are now being delivered via direct services provided by several shipping lines.
Pacific International Lines, a Singaporean company, has also collaborated with Interasia Lines and SL Shipping to develop the China Chittagong Express (CCE), which allows products to travel directly from China to Chittagong in nine to fifteen days. In August, over 41,000 TEUs of import-laden containers arrived directly from China, demonstrating a trend towards direct shipping alternatives.
Industry executives, notably Nasir Uddin Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, stated that these advancements will considerably assist garment exporters by speeding up the supply chain and increasing their competitiveness in the global market.
