Mundra and Pipavav ports have seen robust traffic growth in the April-June quarter. Despite India’s foreign trade dipping during the period, the key ports, operated by listed companies Adani Port SEZ and Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd, moved more cargo.

Cargo throughput at the Adani-owned Mundra Port grew by over 9 per cent, with the port handling 16.3 tonnes of bulk cargo during the period, according to the latest Gujarat Maritime Board data shared with Business Line . Coal, crude oil and high-speed diesel imports formed the top sources of revenue for the port.

Pipavav also registered an impressive 18 per cent growth in container traffic, handling 0.32 million TEUs (twenty-feet equivalent units) despite the exclusive agreement with shipping line Maersk ending in March.

Since April, two new services have been added — one each from Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. Another listed company, Essar Ports, too saw a 13 per cent growth in cargo during the period — handling 12.65 million tonnes. The company — which gets 96 per cent of its revenues by handling cargo for other Essar Group firms —registered an 18 per cent growth in earnings and 23 per cent growth in operating profit during the quarter.

Trade picture

During the April-June quarter, India’s exports declined 1.7 per cent to $75.2 billion, while imports fell 6.1 per cent to $115.26 billion.

The major ports — those under the Central Government — reflected this trend, registering a 5.49 per cent decline during the period. These ports together handled 135.8 million tonnes of cargo.

All commodities, barring thermal coal, registered a decline in loading at these ports.

Most of the incremental thermal coal arrived at the ports of Ennore, Paradip, and Mumbai. Containerised traffic at the major ports for the three-month period was 1.94 million TEUs, down 0.33 per cent.

The ports that reported traffic growth were Ennore (35 per cent), Kochi (13.77 per cent) — supported by raw fertiliser; Mumbai (13.74 per cent) — supported by a mix of thermal coal and raw fertiliser; JN Port (1.99 per cent); and Kandla (0.09 per cent).

>mamuni.das@thehindu.co.in

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