Maersk first to start PTP-Bitung direct service

4/17/2014 9:46:35 AM

Maersk Line is the first and only shipping line to offer such a direct service linking the Bitung port to the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor, Malaysia which is primarily a transhipment hub port in Southeast Asia. From here, the Indonesia goods can be exported to different parts of the world.

Based on the master plan for Bitung Port, this port is intended to connect the interislands of East Indonesia and facilitate the trade of main commodities that have the potential of being exported to the world. These include fish, coconut products and wood.

The launch of the direct service will considerably reduce the transit time from Bitung port to regional transhipment ports.

For example previously, it took 12 days for exports to be shipped via local feeders that would call first at Jakarta before the Port of Tanjung Pelepas. With the new service, it has now been shortened to seven days.

“The direct service will increase efficiency around the supply chain of exporters in this part of Indonesia, contributing to more competitive products,” said Sorensen.

Other benefits include reduced total logistics cost, “through bill of lading” (mentioning Bitung as port of loading) and lower likelihood of cargo damage arising from re-stuffing of containers, as the goods now go directly to the Port of Tanjung Pelepas.

The biweekly service runs on a 32 days rotation: Tanjung Pelepas, Torres Strait, Port Moresby, Port Noro, Lae, Bitung, Tanjung Pelepas. The first sailing departed from the Bitung port on April 14.