Cochin vs Vizhinjam: Which Port Your Linen Should Leave From

Short answer: all our goods leave from one of two Kerala ports. Cochin is the default, and the only choice for part loads and for the Gulf, Asia and Australia. Vizhinjam is worth pricing when you have a full container going to the Mediterranean or West Africa.

The two ports side by side

Five questions that decide it

• Is it a full container? If not, it goes from Cochin.
• Where is it going? Gulf, Asia, Australia and the Americas: Cochin. Mediterranean Europe and West Africa: compare both.
• Does your forwarder have a contract with a particular line? That may settle it.
• How tight is your date? A direct mainline call means fewer ship changes, and fewer chances of a missed connection.
• What does the freight quote say this week? Rates move. Ask for both.

Sea transit from Cochin

Europe figures depend on whether the ship routes through Suez.

Why Vizhinjam matters

It is a deep-water port close to the main east-west shipping lane, so the largest container ships call there directly. Cargo for Europe no longer has to change ships at a foreign hub. Our earlier post explains the port in detail: what Vizhinjam means for linen buyers.

What we do not ship from

We do not ship from Mumbai, Nhava Sheva, Chennai or Tuticorin. If a quote from us says FOB, it means FOB Cochin unless it says FOB Vizhinjam.

On your quote

Tell us your destination port and whether you expect a full container. We quote FOB Cochin as standard, with CIF and DDP on request, and add Vizhinjam where it makes sense.

To see whether your order fills a container, use the container loading calculator. For sea against air, read sea vs air freight for linen. Then ask us for a quote.