An early definition of a dry port was

"An inland terminal to which shipping companies issue their own bills of import for import cargoes taking full responsibility for the costs and conditions and from which shipping companies issue their own bills of lading for export cargoes"


Recent definition

A general user facility with the status of a public authority, equipped with fixed installations and offering services for the temporary storage of any type of goods (including containers) carried under customs transit by any applicable mode of transport. , are kept under customs control and clear goods to other agencies for competent domestic use, warehousing, re-export, temporary storage for onward transit and outright export.”


Simply stated, dry ports are specific places where imports and exports can be sent for inspection by customs and which can be specified as the origin or destination of goods in transit, such as the United Transport Bill of Lading.


By definition, dry ports are located inland from sea ports, but are directly connected to sea ports or in international land movements, in contact with the source of imports and the destination of exports. Dry ports can be used whether a country has seaports or land-locked, but only surface means of transport are involved in providing access to them.


A holding compound wall under a protective enclosure is a prerequisite for a dry port. Dry ports will include temporary storage. Existing customs and clearance facilities as well as specialized facilities built for this purpose may be designated as dry ports. It is essential that dry port is a common user facility so that it is accessible to all shippers either directly or through their agents. Public ownership and private operation based on a common user is perfectly possible and actually happens in many countries. It is necessary to avoid providing facilities which are only for the exclusive use of certain clearing and forwarding agents such that the clearing and forwarding agents or transporters can avail themselves of the balance.


Often, it will be desirable to provide for the premises of large clearing and forwarding agents, major warehousing facilities or other points of substantial transport demand, such as consignments of goods to be directly delivered or collected, especially for bulk goods, such as factories or Electricity station where there will be inspection by customs and verification of quantity delivered by transporter. Although such shipments do not directly pass through a formally designated dry port, their paperwork is likely to involve a transfer between modes of transport at a dry port (rail to road and vice versa; road or rail to inland waterways or vice versa). opposite). Dry ports are also likely to be places where large consignments are assembled or separated into smaller loads for onward transit. when consolidation or grouping occurs). Depending on the commodities, dry ports may need to be able to handle liquids in tankers, dry bulk cargo, non-containerized general cargo and mixed cargo. Usually, however, dry ports are heavily geared to handle unitized cargo.


Dry ports are closely associated with promoting the through transport concept. This service is most easily achieved by switching to the use of containers. The door to door transport concept involves adopting procedures to move goods from their point of origin to their final destination without intermediate customs examination; Thus intermediate handling takes place only at transfer points of transfer between different methods.


Also Read :-Facilities at Dry Port