Major ports handle 2.58% less cargo in 2012-13

In 2012-13, the 12 major ports of the country handled a combined 545.68 million tonne (mn t) cargo, which is down 2.58 percent from 560.137 mn t in the previous year.

A Janardhana Rao, Managing Director of Indian Ports Association (IPA) said this is the second straight year of contraction in cargo volume. In 2011-12, cargo handling of these ports declined 1.73 percent over the previous year. The 12 ports have been hit by a steep reduction in the loading of iron ore and fertilisers, he said.

The decline in cargo handling is attributed mainly to the 55.2 percent contraction of iron-ore shipments through the ports.

In 2012-13, the 12 ports loaded 27 mn t of iron ore, compared with 60.6 mn t a year earlier. In effect, IndiaÂ’s iron-ore shipments have tumbled to 27 mn t in three years from 100.33 mn t in 2009-10.

Major ports in the country handle about 65 percent of IndiaÂ’s external trade by volume shipped by sea. Kandla Port in Gujarat handled the highest cargo volume at 93.62 mn t, up from 82.5 mn t a year ago.

Container volume handled by these ports during 2012-13 stood at 7.708 million standard containers, marginally lower than the 7.78 million standard containers loaded last year.