A reinstated shipping service from Greenock in Scotland to Rotterdam will cut haulage costs and offers whisky distillers a faster route to global customers, according to Peel Ports.
The weekly service recommenced on 19 September by the port firm’s BG Freight Line container service and is providing Scottish exporters with a regular connection to Rotterdam and its extensive network of shipping routes.
Peel Ports said the certainty of the service could be particularly valuable to Scotland’s independent distillers, bottlers and their supply chains, at a time when many were under considerable financial and trading pressure.
Jamie Strain, 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 whisky businesses there is an additional opportunity with Peel Ports allowing them to bring bottled stock into storage at its bonded warehouse and hold it there without tying up cash in duty.
Companies can then shift their stock quickly when they have a customer for it.
Strain added: “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.”
