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Cargo volumes handled at India’s dozen state-owned major ports fell 22.16 per cent during April and May to 92.821 million tonnes (mt) from 119.239 mt a year ago as the coronavirus-induced demand compression roiled global trade.
With the exception of New Mangalore and Mormugao Port Trust, the remaining 10 major ports reported volume declines in the April-May period compared to the same period last year, with Kamarajar Port Ltd posting the steepest fall of 46.07 per cent, according to the Shipping Ministry.
Kamarajar Port Ltd, India’s only state-owned port that is run as a company, handled 3.228 mt from the 5.985 mt last year.
The Chennai Port Trust handled 4.561 mt in April-May FY21 from 8.179 mt last year, a drop of 44.24 per cent. Container volumes at Chennai dipped to 135,000 TEUs from 250,000 TEUs.
Cochin Port Trust handled 3.411 mt, 40.14 per cent lower than the 5.698 mt handled during the first two months of FY20.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s biggest container port located near Mumbai, reported a 33.13 per cent drop in volumes to 8.028 mt from 12.005 mt. JNPT’s container volumes slipped to 559,000 TEUs from 897,000 TEUs a year earlier.
Kolkata Port Trust reported a volume drop of 31.60 per cent to 7.306 mt from 10.682 mt.
Cargo traffic at the Mumbai Port Trust fell 27.08 per cent to 7.540 mt from 10.340 mt. Cargo volumes handled by VO Chidambaranar Port Trust dropped 21.83 per cent to 4.717 mt from 6.034 mt.
Deendayal Port Trust, India’s biggest state-owed port by volumes handled, reported a 18.38 per cent decline in volumes to 17.189 mt from 21.059 mt.
Paradip Port Trust handled 16.097 mt, a drop of 12.94 per cent over the 18.489 mt handled last year.
Visakhapatnam Port Trust reported a 12.58 per cent decline in volumes to 9.947 mt from 11.379 mt.
Mormugao Port Trust handled 3.976 mt from 3.272 mt, a growth of 21.52 per cent.
New Mangalore Port Trust reported a 11.51 per cent growth, handling volume of 6.821 mt from 6.117 mt.
Iron ore, raw fertilisers register growth
All the commodities except iron ore, including pellets, and raw fertilisers, reported a decline in volumes.
Crude oil, petroleum products, LPG and LNG declined 14.75 per cent to 32.321 mt, other liquids by 36.41 per cent to 3.140 mt, finished fertilisers by 14.26 per cent to 1.154 mt, thermal and steam coal by 35.94 per cent to 12.299 mt, coking coal and others by 24.05 per cent to 7.477 mt and containers by 36.33 per cent (in twenty foot equivalent unit or TEU terms) to 1.104 million TEUs.
Iron ore, including pellets, posted a growth of 14.40 per cent to 9.145 mt while raw fertilisers notched a growth of 34.05 per cent to 874,000 mt.
Port volumes is a proxy for India’s export-import trade performance.
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