Companies lose due to car exports in Daebul harbor

Companies in the Daebul Industrial Complex are facing huge problems with importing raw materials since Daebul harbor in the Port of Mokpo has used as car export terminal.

While car exports started in Daebul harbor from May 2, vessels with imported raw materials on board could not deploy at that berth, and have been forced to use other berths, causing an increase in logistic costs.

Some companies at the industrial complex said, "we are now using the outer harbor in Samhak-do, paying an extra 300 won per ton on transportation fees because of export car carriers." This company that used to import raw materials from Australia and Japan one to three times per month has to be especially careful, as the berth it is currently using is used primarily for coal, and dirt from the coal can potentially spoil other raw materials.

The decision to force vessel detentions on raw materials importers comes from the Mokpo Regional Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, which gives priority privileges to export car carriers. As both arrive simultaneously, there are inevitably a host of detentions and costly demurrages for raw material importers.

"It is urgent to deliver an order to build the second phase construction to solve these detention problems at the port", a concerned man in the industry said.

At the Daebul harbor, 700 units of Kia cars were exported and 2,000 cars are still in the yard. Daebul harbor was completed in 1997, capable of docking three 20,000 ton vessels at one time.