Incheon Port Opens First Container Route to Eastern India... 'Next China' Initiative Bears Fruit

A container shipping route connecting Incheon Port and three ports in the eastern region of India has been established for the first time.

The Incheon Port Authority (IPA) announced on October 20 that it has launched a new service linking Incheon, Shanghai in China, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Haldia in India, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, before returning to Incheon.

For this route, the Chinese shipping company SITC plans to deploy six vessels, each with a capacity of 2,433 TEU (where 1 TEU equals one 20-foot container), operating once a week.

A container ship deployed on the route connecting Incheon Port and three ports in the eastern region of India is docking at the Incheon Seongwang New Container Terminal. Incheon Port Authority

This new service, which connects Incheon Port and Chennai Port in India in just 16 days, is expected to establish a logistics route for the export and import of raw materials and finished goods between major manufacturing plants in eastern India and Korea. In addition, export goods to India, which previously could only be shipped from Busan and Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province, can now be loaded at Incheon as well, significantly improving convenience for shippers in the Seoul metropolitan area.

In recent years, IPA has been pursuing new market development with a focus on the 'Next China' region in response to changes in the global shipping environment and the diversification of supply chains away from China. In particular, IPA has targeted South Asian countries such as India and Indonesia as key markets, actively attracting new routes through local port sales, shipper outreach marketing, and the introduction of strategic regional incentives.

An IPA official stated, "The opening of the India route will serve as a new turning point for Incheon Port in expanding its logistics network with major ports in South and Southwest Asia. We will continue to strengthen strategic cooperation with the South and Southwest Asian region to actively support the global competitiveness of export and import companies in the Seoul metropolitan area."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.