The direct port entry (DPE) facility of V O Chidambaranar Port Trust was inaugurated recently. The facility will allow direct movement of containers from factories, without intermediate handling at any container freight station (CFS), allowing shippers to gate-in their factory stuffed exports directly to the container terminal on a 24x7 basis. The facility covers an area of 18,357 sq m inside the truck parking terminal, which was developed under the Sagarmala Programme for issuing customs clearance of export cargo by way of factory stuffed or e-sealed containers. It can handle 18,000 TEUs per month. A team of CWC and Customs officials, in association with VOC Port, will serve Tier-II, Tier-III (AEO) certified EXIM clients.