Vizhinjam Handles Its First Import Container: What It Means for Kerala Shippers

By PortConnect

Vizhinjam International Seaport received its first import container on 31 October 2026, a little over two months after the port opened for direct export and import (EXIM) cargo on 18 August. Until then the terminal worked almost entirely as a transshipment hub, moving boxes from one ship to another. Businesses in south Kerala can now use it as their own gateway.

What happened

The container arrived on the vessel MSC Sabrina III from Ningbo, China.
It carried engineered building boards, a construction material used in place of plywood.
The shipment was booked by BSG Logistics and Ship Chandlers, a Thiruvananthapuram firm, for the city-based Altair Group.
Customs cleared the box at the port and it left by road for the local market.

Exports came first. Eight containers sailed for Valencia, Spain, on the MSC Beryl on 1 September: two from Thiruvananthapuram and six trucked down from Kochi. That ship runs on MSC's Himalaya Express service, which also calls at Las Palmas, Sines, Barcelona and Gioia Tauro.

Why it matters for local businesses

Port authorities say handling imports directly should reduce dependence on other ports and cut the time and trucking cost of moving cargo in and out of the region. They also expect new work in customs brokerage, freight forwarding, road transport and warehousing, mainly in Thiruvananthapuram and the southern districts.

At the EXIM launch, the catchment was described as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with Bengaluru, Coimbatore and Tiruppur named as cities that could benefit.

What is ready, and what is still coming

Customs clearance at the port: working. The first import box was cleared there.
Road: when EXIM cargo started, trucks were using a temporary approach road to NH 66. The permanent interchange had not been built.
Container freight station (CFS): the first CFS for Vizhinjam is being built by Kerala State Industrial Enterprises on about five acres at a spinning mill compound in Balaramapuram, at a cost of about ₹25 crore. It is planned to handle full-container (FCL) and part-load (LCL) cargo, with full operations targeted for February 2027.
Rail: the 10.7 km link to Balaramapuram station is under execution. No trains run yet.

Thinking of shipping through Vizhinjam? Ask these first

Volumes are still small, so arrangements can differ from one booking to the next. Before you commit a shipment, get clear answers from your freight forwarder or the shipping line's agent:

Which sailing and service will carry the box, and what is the transit time to your destination port?
Where do empty containers come from, and where are they returned?
Where will the cargo be stuffed or de-stuffed: at your own premises, or at a facility near the port?
If you ship part loads (LCL), where does consolidation happen until the Balaramapuram CFS opens?
What are the documentation cut-off and gate-in times?
What is the door-to-door cost compared with the port you use today, including trucking at both ends?

You also need the basics that apply at any Indian port: an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) from DGFT, a licensed customs broker to file your shipping bill (exports) or bill of entry (imports), and a transporter for the road leg.