A new guaranteed weekly shipping service from Greenock to Rotterdam is set to give Scotland’s hard-pressed independent whisky businesses a faster and potentially more cost-effective route to customers around the world.
Peel Ports Group has reinstated a weekly call by its BG Freight Line container service at the Port of Greenock from 19 September, providing Scottish exporters with a regular connection to Rotterdam and its extensive network of global shipping routes.
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Peel Ports believes the certainty of the service could be particularly valuable to Scotland’s independent distillers, bottlers and their supply chains, at a time when many are under considerable financial and trading pressure.
Peel Ports operates bonded warehousing at Greenock, allowing whisky businesses to move bottled stock into storage without immediately paying UK excise duty. Duty can remain suspended while stock is held until a sale has been secured and the product is ready to leave for its destination market.
Jamie Strain, the new Clydeport Port Director at Peel Ports Group, said:
“Independent whisky businesses are operating in an incredibly challenging market and anything we can do to take cost, delay and uncertainty out of exporting can make a real difference. We heard very clearly at our export roundtable earlier this year that the bit between making a great Scottish product and getting it into the hands of an overseas customer remains a significant barrier, particularly for smaller businesses.
“This service gives exporters something very simple but critical, which is certainty. There will be a vessel at Greenock every week to take their goods, in full or part containers, to Rotterdam and from there they can connect with markets around the world.
“For independent whisky businesses there is an additional opportunity. They can bring bottled stock into our bonded warehouse, hold it there without tying up cash unnecessarily in duty and then move quickly when they have a customer for it, potentially cutting fulfilment from days to hours.
“It can also reduce the need to move containers by road to ports elsewhere in the UK before export, cutting haulage and additional handling from the supply chain.
“BG Freight have been able to price this service very competitively meaning connections to Rotterdam for onward global shipping are available to Greenock customers at the same rate as sailing from the east coast.”
The Port of Greenock handles around 100,000 TEU annually. Peel Ports has invested £25 million in two new 72-metre ship-to-shore cranes at the terminal as part of its programme to increase capacity and support Scottish international trade.
The route will be served by the MV BG EMERALD and MV BG JADE, 1002 TEU vessels, alternating on the weekly calls.