Cargo volumes handled at India’s dozen state-owned major ports fell 18.06 per cent during April-July period to 193.38 million tonnes (mt) from 236.01 mt a year ago as the coronavirus-induced demand contraction continue to roil global trade.

With the exception of Mormugao Port Trust, the remaining 11 major ports reported volume declines in the April-July period compared to the same period last year, with Kamarajar Port Ltd posting the steepest fall of 35.64 per cent, according to the Shipping Ministry.

Kamarajar Port Ltd, India’s only state-owned port that is run as a company, handled 7 mt from the 10.87 mt last year.

Chennai Port Trust handled 11.08 mt in April-July FY21 from 16.43 mt last year, a drop of 32.53 per cent. The container volumes at Chennai dipped to 323,000 TEUs from 506,000 TEUs, a decline of about 36 per cent.

Cochin Port Trust handled 7.76 mt, 32.78 per cent lower than the 11.55 mt handled during the first four months of FY20. The container volumes at Cochin Port Trust declined about 17 per cent to 167,000 TEUs from 203,000 TEUs during the same period last year.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s biggest container port located near Mumbai, reported a 27.69 per cent drop in volumes to 16.94 mt from 23.43 mt. JNPT’s container volumes slipped to 1.192 million TEUs from 1.738 million TEUs a year earlier, a drop of about 30 per cent.

Syama Prasad Mookherjee Port Trust (formerly Kolkata Port Trust) reported a volume drop of 26.09 per cent to 16.050 mt from 21.717 mt.

Cargo traffic at Mumbai Port Trust fell 19.79 per cent to 15.858 mt from 19.771 mt.

Deendayal Port Trust, India’s biggest state-owed port by volumes handled, reported a 16.78 per cent decline in volumes to 34.11 mt from 40.99 mt.

Visakhapatnam Port Trust reported a 11.26 per cent decline in volumes to 21.034 mt from 23.704 mt.

Cargo volumes handled by V O Chidambaranar Port Trust dropped 9.74 per cent to 10.57 mt from 11.71 mt.

Paradip Port Trust handled 34.64 mt, a drop of 9.07 per cent over the 38.09 mt handled last year.

New Mangalore Port Trust reported a 4.60 per cent decline, handling volume of 11.56 mt from 12.12 mt.

Mormugao Port Trust handled 6.76 mt from 5.61 mt, a growth of 20.44 per cent.

All the commodities except iron ore including pellets and raw fertilisers reported a decline in volumes.

Crude oil, petroleum products, LPG and LNG declined 17.75 per cent to 63.66 mt, other liquids by 19.43 per cent to 7.98 mt, thermal and steam coal by 29.95 per cent to 23.19 mt, coking coal and others by 32.26 per cent to 13.51 mt and containers by 28 per cent (in twenty foot equivalent unit or TEU terms) to 2.49 million TEUs from 3.46 million TEUs.

Iron ore including pellets posted a growth of 24.27 per cent to 21.690 mt.
Source: The Hindu Business Line