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Indian shippers using container terminals at Nhava Port (JNPA) have won some respite from penalties on containers they had been unable to evacuate on time, due to recent truck capacity shortages and yard congestion.
JNPA has agreed to grant a flat 50% waiver on ground rent charges for import containers that overstayed because of the logjam. Typically, port ground rent comes into play after eight free-storage days.
The authority said import boxes that landed in the wharf on or after 1 May and gated out on or before 20 June would quality for the relief.
“Due to a shortage of trailer drivers during April-May, CFSs [container freight stations] and DPD [direct port delivery] importers were unable to evacuate import containers in a timely manner, causing inventory build-up and extended container dwell inside port terminals,” JNPA said.
“ln recognition of the hardship caused to importers – though the responsibility for evacuation rests with CFSs and factory/business owners –JNPA has decided to offer the relief,” it added.
The move follows growing pressure from industry groups and stakeholder interventions with government-level shipping policymakers, mainly officials at the Ministry of Shipping.
While welcoming the relief announcement, trade stakeholders are seeking long-term structural improvements at the port to handle any kind of volume surges from seasonal patterns or unexpected events.
“Addressing the root cause is more critical than compensating for the consequence,” one industry source told 载星.
JNPA in March implemented a raft of concessions in storage and other tariffs for containers stranded in the harbour as a result of Middle East shipping service suspensions.
Adani Ports’ Mundra Port similarly responded with tariff relief for affected Persian Gulf trades following government directives.
Inland service pressure has also been a major concern at Mundra in recent weeks, resulting from truck driver shortages and rail cargo evacuation issues. But any kind of demurrage relief there for imports remains elusive, according to industry sources.
Last week, container train operators (CTOs) escalated their frustration at managing cargo movement out of Mundra in an increasingly difficult environment. Concerns ranged from their inability to operate trains at targeted loading plans, due to congested marshalling yards and poor train placements by authorities, including for double-stack operations.
“Despite having engaged with the port regularly, CTOs have been unable to find any sustained relief to our problems,” the Association of Container Train Operators (ACTO) complained.
“We remain willing to engage with the Adani team to resolve issues, but in the absence of any positive response will be forced to consider stronger action at our end including reserving our rights to withhold port dues that are resulting for no fault of our own,” it warned.
Meanwhile, container volumes at JNPA have gained stronger pace in the past two months, thanks to higher transhipment cargo handling linked to Middle East-linked diversions, data indicates.
The port’s combined April/May throughput was up 13% year on year, to 1.5m teu, according to the data.