India’s dozen state-owned ports handled a combined 414.304 million tonnes (mt) of cargo from April to November, 10.53 per cent lower than the 463.054 mt handled during the same period last year.

With the exception of 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 gradual recovery in India’s external trade driven by higher exports.

Drastic drop

Petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) 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 April-November period compared to last year.

Container volumes declined 13.98 per cent to 5.767 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from 6.704 million TEUs a year ago.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s biggest state-owned container gateway, handled 2.762 million TEUs during April-November, down from 3.360 million TEUs last year.

Thermal and coking coal voulmes plunged 17.22 per cent and 14.71 per cent, respectively, during the period to 48.160 mt and 31.519 mt, respectively, from a year ago.

However, iron ore including pellets jumped 31.01 per cent to 44.487 mt during the period compared to 33.958 mt last year.

Finished and raw fertiliser cargo witnessed an increase between April and November registering 7.49 per cent and 15.08 per cent growth respectively to 7.308 mt and 4.906 mt respectively from a year earlier.

Mormugao Port Trust handled 12.209 mt between April and November from 10.384 mt a year ago.

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