A new service by global ports operator DP World from Morocco to the UK and northern Europe is expected to cut export times for fruit and vegetable shipments and offer an alternative to longer road routes.
The new Atlas service will connect Agadir and Casablanca in Morocco with DP World-owned ports and terminals, London Gateway and Antwerp Gateway, the Dubai Media Office said on Wednesday.
The service, set to begin in November, will use Unifeeder vessels and refrigerated containers ships - known as reefers, and is set to cut export time in the UK by up to two days, it said.
“Unlike road transport on the 3,000+km journey, the new shipping service avoids congestion, bouts of serious vandalism and delays at border crossings while offering a smoother passage for delicate produce such as tomatoes and blueberries, which are prone to damage on bumpy roads,” it said.
The service will also reduce carbon emissions compared to the traditional lorries on road routes.
“The key elements of this service – reliability, fast transit times and modern IT platform – will provide exporters and retailers with a viable alternative to the current transportation by truck and ensure improved quality produce at lower cost with a significantly reduced carbon emissions,” said Rashid Abdulla, managing director and chief executive at DP World Europe.
Vegetables and fruit and nuts key agricultural export categories from Morocco to the EU. The value of vegetable exports rose by 6.5 per cent last year, while fruit and nuts rose by 12.3 per cent, according to official data.
Morocco exports more than 6.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables a year to Western Europe, with volumes growing at over 20 per cent annually, the media office said.
Meanwhile, total UK imports from Morocco amounted to £2.7 billion ($3.6 billion) in the year to the end of March, marking an annual increase of 12.6 per cent in current prices, according to UK government data. Vegetables and fruit topped the list, accounting for nearly 35 per cent of all imports, with the amount rising by 21 per cent annually to £566.4 million during the same period.
DP World, which operates ports from Peru to Australia, said its container volumes increased 5.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis in the first half of this year, reaching 45.4 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) across its global portfolio.
The growth was led by operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, which rose 10.2 per cent annually to 16.9 million TEUs.
The company said it will offer a fleet of 1,000 1.2-metre-high cube and 750 six-metre dry containers for general cargo flows between northern Europe, the UK and Morocco.
“We are committed to building smarter, more sustainable and more resilient supply chains,” said Markus Rodatz, DP World's chief operating officer for freight in Europe.
“The new service gives growers and retailers the confidence that their produce will arrive fresher, faster and in peak condition, while cutting emissions by 70 per cent.”
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
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