India’s 12 state-owned ports loaded a combined 9.876 million 20-foot equivalent units or TEUs in the year to March 2019, 8.08 per cent more than the previous year. In FY18, the dozen major ports handled 9.138 million TEUs.

Containers handled at major ports are expected to cross the 10 million TEU mark this fiscal.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s biggest container port, retained the pole position among the major ports in container handling, ending the year with a volume of 5.133 million TEUs against 4.833 million TEUs in FY18, followed by Chennai Port Trust with 1.620 million TEUs against 1.549 million TEUs in FY18. Kolkata Port Trust held the third spot with 830,000 TEUs from 796,000 TEUs in FY18.

The total cargo, including containers handled by the 12 ports, rose 2.9 per cent to 699.048 million tonnes from 679.371 mt in FY18.

The largest jump in commodities was in coking coal shipments (used in steel-making), which jumped 14.25 per cent during FY19, to reach 57.508 mt, from 50.337 mt a year earlier.

Thermal and steam coal shipments (used by power plants) rose 9 per cent during the year to 103.843 mt, from 95.266 mt a year ago.

Petroleum, oil and lubricants, including crude oil, products and LPG/LNG shipments, grew 2.52 per cent to 232.378 mt from 226.676 mt in FY18.

Iron ore shipments registered a decline during the year, a drop of 16.18 per cent to 40.685 mt from 48.541 mt in FY18.

Shipments of raw fertiliser cargo declined by 7.21 per cent to 6.987 mt from 7.530 mt, while that of finished fertilisers jumped 9.69 per cent to 8.256 mt from 7.527 mt, the Shipping Ministry said.

Deendayal Port Trust (formerly Kandla Port Trust) retained the top slot in overall cargo handling by loading 115.402 mt, followed by Paradip Port Trust with 109.275 mt. JNPT was in third spot at 70.706 mt.

Cargo handled at Mormugao Port Trust fell by 34.26 per cent – the biggest drop among the 12 ports – to 17.682 mt.

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