Fall in iron ore volume pulls down port traffic in November

Mamuni Das Updated - March 12, 2018 at 12:59 PM.

iron ore

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.

>mamuni@thehindu.co.in

Published on December 13, 2011 13:59