Iran War: JNPA Strengthens Trade Support Through Coordinated Stakeholder Efforts

Mumbai:

Port Wings News Network:

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has issued the SOP for all the Major Ports to mitigate the impact of geopolitical disturbance in the Middle East. Accordingly Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA) has constituted a task force comprising of Joint DGFT, Addl Commissioner Customs, CGM (Traffic) JNPA, and Dy Nautical Advisor (DG Shipping).

Girish Thomas, CGM (Traffic), JNPA (Email- cmt@jnport.gov.in), has been appointed as the Single Point of Contact for all coordination and communications related to trade disruptions arising from the evolving geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

The disruption has impacted on vessel schedules and export cargo movement to Middle East, prompting coordinated efforts between port authorities and trade stakeholders.

Besides, Gaurav Dayal, IAS, Chairman, JNPA and Ravish Kumar Singh, IRTS, Deputy Chairman, JNPA, are holding regular consultations with shipping lines, exporters, terminal operators, Customs and maritime authorities, BCBA, APEDA, CSLA, MANSA, FFFAI, and Transporters Association to closely monitor the situation and address operational concerns.

To support the EXIM community and ease congestion at the port, JNPA has implemented several facilitation measures.

Key initiatives undertaken include: Temporary transshipment storage for Middle East-bound cargo; Allocation of additional storage areas at terminals where required; Facilitation of ad-hoc vessel calls for moving Middle East cargo to Middle East ports which are on eastern side of the strait Hormuz mainly Fujairah and Khor Fakkan in the UAE and Sohar, Muscat, and Salalah in Oman; Priority handling for perishable cargo and export cargo returning from the Middle East; and Expedited ‘Back to Town’ (BTT) movement of export containers.

Also, JNPA not collecting anchorage charges for the vessels stranded at JNPA anchorage, and this enables vessels to stay safe without any additional expenses till normalcy is restored. Besides, the Port is also planning to extend waiver on certain charges to help the exporters in reducing the burden.

An important facilitation measure has been taken by Customs authorities at JNCH enabling BTT movement of export cargo even in cases where the Export General Manifest (EGM) has not been filed. Where container seals are intact, permission will be granted after basic verification. Containers at CPP require only e-seal verification, while those at Container Freight Stations undergo limited inspection linked to the shipping bill. The usual detailed physical examination has been waived, and any BTT-related fees or penalties have also been waived.

Following consultations with the Reefer Transporters Association, it has also been confirmed that adequate trailers are available for the movement of reefer as well as other containers requiring BTT evacuation, ensuring smooth evacuation of containers from the port without logistical constraints, especially for banana, grapes and other perishable cargo which have lesser shelf life.

Speaking on the situation, Gaurav Dayal said: “JNPA is closely monitoring the evolving situation and remains fully committed to supporting the EXIM community. We are in constant consultation with the Ministry, Customs authorities, terminal operators and trade stakeholders to explore relief measures that can ease cargo movement and minimize disruption. Our endeavor is to identify practical solutions that support exporters and ensure seamless port operations.”

As a result of these coordinated efforts, the situation at the port has shown steady improvement. The number of stranded containers at JNPA has reduced from around 5,000 TEUs on 1 March to nearly 3,200 TEUs on 8 March, while stranded perishable containers have reduced from around 2,000 to about 1,000. Efforts are ongoing to further reduce the number of stranded containers at the earliest possible time. JNPA remains in close coordination with the Ministry, terminal operators, shipping lines and the trade community to ensure smooth cargo movement and sustained support to the EXIM sector, while actively exploring additional facilitation measures to further ease trade operations.

• This story has been updated with more details.

About The Author