Lok Sabha Question No. 2191 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Shortage of Containers at Ports
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Jayadev Galla, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Sarmistha Sethi, Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 2191

ANSWERED ON 1011212021

## SHORTAGE OF CONTAINERS AT PORTS

2191 SHRI JAYADEV GALLA: SHRI RAJIV PRATAP  RUDY: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB. SHRIMATI SARMISTHA  SETHI. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of PORTS,  SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS be pleased  to state qi.ilfi{,  mdqftfrf,{  ofotqccrrf d-fi

- (a) the details of containers  available and required for shipping of cargo at ports in the country,  port and classification-wise;
- (b) whether the shortage of containers for exports  at lndian and international ports and disruption/delay  in supply chain and shipping of cargo has been reported in the country, if so, the details  thereof  along with its advorso impact on lnternational trade/economy of the country  and revenue  loss to exporters  and exchequer due to it;
- (c) the measures taken/being taken to address the shortage of containers at ports,
- (d) whether there exrsts a mandatory policy for returning the container  to the exporting  country from the country of import, if so, ihe details thereof along with the number of containers returned,  country-wise; and
- (e) if not, whether the Government  proposes  to introduce such a policy, if so, the details and the timeline of implementation  thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING  AND WATERWAYS (sHRr SARBANANDA  SONOWAL)

- (a) Since, the containers availability  is ever changing in view of cargo exports and imports and also it takes unprecedented turnaround  time in other countries  due to congestion at Ports, maintenance of record  for the availability of containers  is not feasible.  However,  the data on containers  handled (load ing/u n load ing) at Major Ports from April 2021 to October,  202'lis enclosed at Annexure

(b) Yes. The main reason for the current global shipping crisis is the raging pandemic resulting in the congestion at the ports. The unbalanced  recovery of the economy between importing  and exporting countries, post COVID-19, also played a role in the crisis. The crisis began in late 2020 due to a sharp mismatch in import and export volumes, leading to  shortage of containers available for exports,  at ports across lndia. The situation  worsened as economies  in the region and beyond  began opening  up at the same time after lockdowns. By April 2021  ,  the container  crisis subdued a bit, but by July 2021 lhe shortage  was back at a time when export volumes  were more than ever before as industry was clearing  inventory and groMh of global demand.

However, the growth in expoft volumes in 2021 has been quite robust as compared to the year 2019 and even more so when compared with the year 2020.

- (c) Major Ports are encouraging  lines to arrange a direct call of mother  vessels for transhipment  servioes  to avoid additional  timc and cost incurred due to congestion  at foreign ports. Ma.jor Ports also extended incentives in port charges  for additional  transhipment  volume.

Fiscal incentives have been provided by Port Authorities  i.e. volume link discounts on port charges,  increasing  free storage  period and concessional storage charges.

Due to regular interactions with all the stakeholders by the Port Chairmen,  more number of empty containers  (TEUs) have been imported as compared to export resulting in availability  of additional  TEUs for EXIM trade at 12 major Ports.

- (d) & (e)There is no mandate under Customs Law and regulations for returning the container  to the exporting  country  from the country of import.

## ANNEXURE

| PORTS               | PERIOD   | CONTAINER TRAFFIC (in TEUs) 1202U   | CONTAINER TRAFFIC (in TEUs) 1202U   | CONTAINER TRAFFIC (in TEUs) 1202U   | CONTAINER TRAFFIC (in TEUs) 1202U   | CONTAINER TRAFFIC (in TEUs) 1202U   | CONTAINER TRAFFIC (in TEUs) 1202U   | CONTAINER TRAFFIC (in TEUs) 1202U   |
|---------------------|----------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|                     |          | APR                                 | MAY                                 | JUNE                                | JULY                                | AUG                                 | SEP                                 | OCT                                 |
| SMP, Kolkata (KDS)  | Unloaded | 25142                               | 23940                               | 25352                               | 24798                               | 24485                               | 25048                               | 24012                               |
| SMP, Kolkata (KDS)  | Loaded   | 24241                               | 22392                               | 23696                               | 24773                               | 23052                               | 22757                               | 1 9305                              |
| SMP, Kolkata (KDS)  | Total    | 49383                               | 46332                               | 49048                               | 4957 1                              | 47537                               | 47805                               | 43317                               |
| Haldia              | Unloaded | 6725                                | 7782                                | 9114                                | 5089                                | 5922                                | 5292                                | 5215                                |
| Haldia              | Loaded   | 7958                                | 6737                                | 9619                                | 8683                                | 10118                               | 7789                                | 6594                                |
| Haldia              | Total    | 14683                               | 14519                               | 18733                               | 13772                               | 1 6040                              | 1 3081                              | 1 '1809                             |
| Paradip             | Unloaded | 572                                 | 270                                 | 366                                 | 441                                 | 344                                 | 355                                 | 2                                   |
| Paradip             | Loaded   | 678                                 | 333                                 | 442                                 | 721                                 | 462                                 | 353                                 | 321                                 |
| Paradip             | Total    | 1250                                | 603                                 | 808                                 | 1162                                | 806                                 | 708                                 | 323                                 |
| Visakha patnam      | Unloaded | 1 8884                              | 25405                               | 21526                               | 24102                               | 20044                               | 1 9430                              | 22124                               |
| Visakha patnam      | Loaded   | 18420                               | 1 9458                              | 21037                               | 23787                               | 22312                               | 22082                               | 20887                               |
| Visakha patnam      | Total    | 37304                               | 44863                               | 42563                               | 47889                               | 42356                               | 41512                               | 43011                               |
| Kamaraj ar          | Unloaded | 17246                               | 18025                               | 1 9405                              | 17423                               | 1 9336                              | 19971                               | 2061 6                              |
| Kamaraj ar          | Loaded   | 18674                               | 20332                               | 1 9835                              | 1 9820                              | 22439                               | 20125                               | 19519                               |
|                     | Total    | 35920                               | 38357                               | 39240                               | 37243                               | 41775                               | 40096                               | 401 35                              |
| Chennai             | Unloaded | 72102                               | 69767                               | 7 1950                              | 59596                               | 66578                               | 691 0B                              | 84807                               |
| Chennai             | Loaded   | 64645                               | 62500                               | 66873                               | 60063                               | 63802                               | 60266                               | 69141                               |
| Chennai             | Total    | 136747                              | 132267                              | 1 38823                             | 1 1 9659                            | 1 30380                             | 129374                              | 1 53948                             |
| v.o. Chidamb aranar | Unloaded | 381 95                              | 31 984                              | 34219                               | 29042                               | 34605                               | 30584                               | 31124                               |
| v.o. Chidamb aranar | Loaded   | 38'170                              | 30724                               | 2BB7O                               | 37454                               | 32981                               | 35565                               | 29653                               |
| v.o. Chidamb aranar | Total    | 76365                               | 62708                               | 63089                               | 66496                               | 67586                               | 66149                               | 60777                               |
| Cochin              | Unloaded | 27551                               | 27800                               | 24524                               | 29612                               | 34956                               | 341 19                              | 32377                               |
| Cochin              | Loaded   | 28166                               | 26181                               | 24897                               | 31523                               | 33885                               | 34264                               | 34526                               |
| Cochin              | Total    | 55717                               | 53981                               | 49421                               | 61135                               | 68841                               | 68383                               | 66903                               |
| New Mangalo re      | Unloaded | 6743                                | 6937                                | 9s37                                | 5752                                | 4661                                | 7054                                | 4309                                |
| New Mangalo re      | Loaded   | 7628                                | 5664                                | 7721                                | 7701                                | 51 31                               | 7651                                | 501 B                               |

|            | Total    | 1437 1   |   12601 | 17258   | 1 3453   | 9792    | 14705   |   9327 |
|------------|----------|----------|---------|---------|----------|---------|---------|--------|
| Mormug ao  | Unloaded | 1784     |     936 | 1504    | 591      | 326     | 92      |    395 |
| Mormug ao  | Loaded   | 1 3BB    |    1162 | 1457    | 981      | 224     | 3BB     |    358 |
| Mormug ao  | Total    | 3172     |    2098 | 2961    | 1572     | 550     | 480     |    753 |
| Mumbai     | Unloaded | 1 598    |    2062 | 1116    | 1877     | 52      | 2504    |   2459 |
| Mumbai     | Loaded   | 16       |      45 | 34      | 48       | 2073    | 0       |     20 |
| Mumbai     | Total    | 1614     |    2107 | 1 150   | 1925     | 2125    | 2504    |   2479 |
| J.N.P.T.   | Unloaded | 243181   |  232043 | 216857  | 209279   | 221446  | 233256  | 242993 |
| J.N.P.T.   | Loaded   | 224834   |  222342 | 225127  | 224254   | 231659  | 218852  | 233323 |
| J.N.P.T.   | Total    | 46801 5  |  454385 | 441984  | 433533   | 4531 05 | 452108  | 476316 |
| Deenday al | Unloaded | 2501 5   |   22596 | 16810   | 18156    | 21626   | 20827   |  17232 |
| Deenday al | Loaded   | 23331    |   21171 | 19511   | 20579    | 21634   | 1 5367  |  18016 |
| Deenday al | Total    | 48346    |   43767 | 3632 1  | 38735    | 43260   | 36'194  |  35248 |
| TOTAL:     | Unloaded | 484738   |  469547 | 452280  | 425758   | 454381  | 467640  | 487665 |
| TOTAL:     | Loaded   | 458149   |  439041 | 449119  | 460387   | 469772  | 445459  | 456681 |
| TOTAL:     | Total    | 942887   |  908588 | 901 399 | 88614s   | 924153  | 91 3099 | 944346 |