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A reduction in iron ore traffic - driven by a mix of ban on iron ore exports and slower demand from China - continued to pull down the total load handled at major ports in November.
During the month, the two key commodity groups that registered a decline in traffic handled at major ports were iron ore and coking coal. All key commodity groups – petroleum products, fertiliser, thermal coal and containers – registered growth.
Major ports handled 45.67 million tonnes cargo, a 0.51 per cent drop against the same period last year.
The reduction in iron ore export cargo – of 2.6 mt - was more than the increased handling of finished fertiliser, container traffic and thermal coal during the month. These were the three commodity segments that got the maximum incremental traffic - of 2.18 million tonnes - to the ports during the period.
On a cumulative basis, the major ports handled 370.68 mt between April-November, registering a 1.33 per cent growth. This was on the back of lower handling of iron ore, fertiliser and coking coal.
NON-MAJOR PORTS
The slower growth at major ports is also due to higher cargo handled by non-major ports – administered by the State Governments. The non-major ports account for about 35 per cent of total traffic.
For instance, Mundra Port SEZ – which operates the Gujarat Government’s non-major port at Mundra - handled about 5.7 mt cargo in November, said industry sources.
MPSEZ handled close to one mt fertiliser in November, according to a company statement.
The consolidated data for total traffic handled by non-major ports is not available at present.
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