Imagine skipping the long detour through a Container Freight Station and rolling straight up to the ship. That’s exactly what exporters can do now that V O Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority has switched on its brand‑new Direct Port Entry (DPE) lane for factory‑stuffed, e‑sealed containers.
Why this matters ?
Old Way
New DPE Way
Truck waits at a CFS for customs checks
Truck drives straight to the terminal, 24/7
Extra handling fees & paperwork
One touchpoint, lower cost
Longer dwell time on the docks
Faster gate‑in → quicker ship loading
By pairing DPE with its existing Direct Port Delivery (DPD) programme, VOC Port is gunning for minimal dwell time—the holy grail of port efficiency.
The fine print
-
Service charge:
₹135 + GST (20‑ft) | ₹162 + GST (>20‑ft)
Payable by customs brokers
(Trade Notice, 10 April) -
Capacity check :
Two container terminals—Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal & Tuticorin International Container Terminal—jointly handle 1.35 million TEUs. -
Growth snapshot (FY ’25) :
7,95,222 TEUs, up 6.4 % YoY.
Big picture
Tamil Nadu’s exporters—from automotive parts to agri‑produce—stand to shave hours (sometimes days) off their supply‑chain clocks. And with nearly 8 lakh TEUs already moving through VOC last year, the port’s “direct‑to‑deck” shortcut could be a logistics game‑changer for South India.
