India’s dozen State-owned ports handled a combined 298.550 million tonnes (mt) of cargo during the first six months of the current fiscal — 14.27 per cent lower than the 348.233 mt handled during the same period last year.

Barring Mormugao Port Trust, all the other 11 ports continue to suffer from volume declines triggered by the coronavirus-induced demand destruction. However, the extent of volume decline year-on-year has been reducing since July, suggesting a slow recovery in India’s external trade.

Segment-wise

Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants cargo comprising crude oil, petroleum products, LPG and LNG, other liquids, thermal and steam coal, coking coal and containers reported double digit declines during the first half of the current fiscal compared to last year.

Container volumes declined 20.83 per cent to 4.070 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from 5.141 million TEUs a year ago.

Thermal and coking coal plunged 23.24 per cent and 28.04 per cent, respectively during the first half to 34.525 mt and 20.891 mt, respectively from a year ago.

Iron ore, including pellets, jumped 33.30 per cent to 33.006 mt during the first six months compared to last year.

Finished and raw fertiliser cargo witnessed an increase between April and September registering 3.12 per cent and 24.26 per cent growth, respectively to 4.757 mt and 3.473 mt, respectively from a year earlier.

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