Trans-shipment of Bangladesh:
Bangladesh has exported goods worth almost one and a half times more to third countries through West Bengal’s Petrapole land port than before, news agency PTI reported recently. This land port in North 24 Parganas district is an important channel for India-Bangladesh trade.
Apart from bilateral trade, Bangladesh also exports goods to other countries through Petrapole. PTI reported that Bangladesh sent 46 percent more ‘transshipment’ goods worth through Petrapole in the 2024-25 fiscal year compared to the 2023-24 fiscal year.
When a country exports goods to a third country through the customs center of another country, the process is called ‘transshipment’.
India had been providing this facility to Bangladesh for exports since June 29, 2020. However, it recently stopped providing this facility. The Indian government took this decision on April 8. PTI reported that no ‘transshipment’ goods have entered from Bangladesh through Petrapole since April 9.
However, bilateral trade remains normal. Based on information obtained from the land port’s workers’ organization ‘Petrapol Clearing Agents’ Staff Welfare Association’, PTI reported, In the just-ended fiscal year, more Bangladeshi goods entered Petrapol for export to third countries than ever before.
According to the organization’s ‘transshipment’ data, 3,473 trucks entered India through Petrapole in the financial year 2023-24. The total value of the goods in Indian currency is Rs 2,357.27 crore. In the last financial year, 4,861 trucks entered India.
A total of 3446 crore 66 lakh taka of goods are brought into the country. The number of trucks coming to export goods to third countries has increased by 36 percent in the fiscal year 2024-25 compared to the fiscal year 2023-24. The value of exported goods has also increased by about 46 percent.
According to PTI, four trucks that were coming from Bangladesh’s Benapole land port for export to a third country were turned back on April 9 following a new decision by the Indian government.
Regarding the decision to stop providing this facility to Bangladesh, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that providing this facility to Bangladesh was causing increased congestion at the country’s ports and airports.As a result, Indian companies were having problems in exporting. That is why the facility has been stopped for Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh will not have any problem exporting goods to Nepal and Bhutan via Indian soil.
