Page 243 - DMGT546_INTERNATIONAL_TRADE_PROCEDURE_AND_DOCUMENTATION

International Trade Procedures and Documentation

Notes from deep sea ports is a necessary feature of well-developed multi modal transport systems
because this has proved to be a time and cost saving function.
(viii) Physical Distribution Services: These can be provided economically at or close to the
ICDs. Garments can be ironed and packed, prices tagged on consumer goods, liquids in
bulk can be bottled—in short, a variety of cargo-related services to finished goods can be
placed near the ICD itself. For agricultural products, ICDs may provide refrigeration
plants and warehousing facilities to prepare meat, fish and vegetables for export.
Guided by economic and strategic considerations, each ICD may decide what functions it should
have.
Indian ICDs perform many of the possible functions outlined above. These include stuffing,
destuffing, locking, sealing; providing trailers chassis, railway flats, repairs, handling equipment,
storage, facilities for reefer, customs examination and processing of customs documents, issuance
of combined transport documents by carriers.
ICD is a declared Customs Area for the purpose of import and export but only limited facilities
of noting of shipping bills, valuation and examination of export cargo are afforded at ICD.
Exports, however, are deemed to be effected from the gateway port only.
ICDs are connected with gateway ports. Following are examples of some of the ports and the
ICDs connected to them.
Within 24 hours of landing, the containers consigned to the ICDs are dispatched by rail. At the
ports, ICD containers and transshipment containers are moved on priority basis. Similarly,
stuffed containers, on completion of customs formalities at the lCD, are dispatched to the terminal
port within 24 hours.

The railways provide the transport link between the ICDs and the gateway ports.

11.2 Container Freight Stations (CFS)

CFS have been established to speed up export cargo and to specially help small exporters whose
consignments are less than container (LCL) loads.
The CFS has facilities of modem godown accommodation under export supervision. Facilities
of banking, custom examination, clearance, safe handling, stuffing, sealing and transportation
of containers are available. Both import and export consignments are handled here.

Location of ICDs and CFSs is regulated by the Ministry of Commerce of the Government of
India. While this ministry is encouraging liberalisation and competitiveness with a view to
making transport more attractive and customer friendly, it must maintain the inter regional
balance. CFSs and ICDs should not be concentrated only in a particular region; they must be
spread throughout the country depending upon present and future potentiality of cargo traffic.

The supportive network of surface transport with the location of Container Freight Stations and
Inland Container Depots has to be in the hinterland. The location depends upon the potentiality
of generating volume of export cargo or where distribution of import-cargoes can be easily
facilitated.

Further, CFSs and ICDs should be complementary to each other. CFSs are cargo aggregating
points, which should conveniently feed the ICDs for carriage to gateway ports in sizable quantities
and over long distances. Conversely for imports, the goods may be brought over the same route
to an ICD for distributing to the various users.

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