Ennore Port signs car export pact with Ford

Ennore Port LtdEnnore Port Ltd (EPL) has signed an agreement with the Indian division of U. S.-based auto giant Ford for export of cars through the port.

The agreement was signed by Ennore Port Chairman & Managing Director M A Baskarachar and Ford India Executive Director Tom Chackalackal in the presence of Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan on Tuesday.

Under the terms of the agreement, which is for a period of 10 years, Ennore Port will provide various volume-based discounts to the car maker to encourage more exports via its facility.

Ford India has established a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai, to export automobile products to other countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Shipping Minister G K Vasan also announced that Ennore Port would soon sign an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for setting up LNG import storage and re-gasification terminal port at an investment of Rs 4,500 crore.

In the past couple of years, Chennai has emerged as a major export centre for automobile products, with Ennore Port playing a key role in facilitating the exports.

Manufacturers like Ford, Nissan, Ashok Leyland and Toyota exported nearly 449,720 automobile units between September 2010 and December 2013 through Ennore Port.