Cargo handling, including container traffic movement, across India’s major ports has seen a 4 per cent rise y-o-y to 209 million tonnes (mt) in April-June of this fiscal year (Q1FY25), primarily on account of higher coking coal imports and an increase in container handling. In the year-ago quarter, traffic across these 12 ports stood at 200.55 mt.
Traffic was up 6 per cent sequentially in June to 69 mt, compared with May, when it was 64.69 mt, according to data from the Indian Ports Association, accessed by businessline.
India has 12 major ports: Kolkata, Paradip, Vizag, Ennore, Chennai, VO Chidambaranar, Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugoa, Mumbai, JNPA, and Deendayal.
Coking coal imports stood at 15.83 mt for April-June, up 6 per cent, from 14.9 mt in the year-ago period. Paradip port saw the highest coking coal shipments (4.3 mt).
Container cargo movement saw an over 5 per cent rise in tonnage for the first quarter, while in terms of TEUs (twenty equivalent units), the segment saw a 9 per cent rise quarter-on-quarter.
Iron ore exports were down 2.25 per cent, with a reported slowdown in China, the prime buyer. Iron ore shipments were down to 13.6 mt for April-June 2024, as against 13.9 mt in the year-ago period.
Interestingly, finished fertiliser imports saw a major decline, down by over 31 per cent to 1.74 mt.
Port-wise break-up
As per the data, three ports — Kolkata and Haldia dock systems, which together come under the Syamaprasad Mookerjee Port, New Mangalore and Mormugao witnessed a drop in cargo traffic.
In the case of Kolkata dock, the decline was to the tune of 10 per cent or 3.6 mt, in Q1FY25 compared with 4.0 mt in the year-ago period. For the Haldia dock, there was over a 6 per cent y-o-y decline, or 10.6 mt for April–June, compared with 11.3 mt in the year-ago period.
For New Mangalore, the cargo traffic in Q1FY25 was at 10.8 mt, down 4.5 per cent. In the year-ago period, the cargo handled was 11.3 mt.
In Mormugoa, traffic was down 4.7 mt, 6 per cent y-o-y; as against the year-ago period when it was 5 mt.
Amongst other ports, Vizag saw the highest increase in cargo traffic handled — up nearly 9 per cent for Q1FY25 —whereas Chennai saw an over 8 per cent increase in cargo handling.