In the April-October period, India saw a decline in cargo volumes in state-owned ports.
In the period, the twelve ports handled a total of 354.818 million tonnes (mt) of cargo, down by 12.43% year-on-year.
Aside from the Mormugao Port Trust, all the other 11 ports kept the poor results on the back of the coronavirus-related demand destruction. Still, the falling level was mitigated compared to July’s, indicating a slow recovery in the country’s external trade.
Year-on-year, Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (POL) cargo posted double-digit declines.
Container volumes slumped by 16.92% to 4.935 million TEUs, compared to a year ago’s 5.940 million TEUs. Thermal and coking coal dropped by 19.51% and 21.38% respectively year-on-year, to 41.217 mt and 26.080 mt.
Iron ore climbed by 33.20% to 38.390 mt during the period compared to 28.822 mt last year. Finished and raw fertilizer also saw an increase in the period, by 9.43% and 19.21% year-on-year to 6.253 mt and 4.294 mt.
The only state-port did not show the fall was Mormugao Port Trust, which handled 10.176 mt between April and October from 8.737 mt a year ago.
