Waves at Mundra. Photo: port sources
Monsoon storms along India’s west coast have exacerbated supply chain disruption for containerised freight moving through Nhava Sheva Port (JNPA), according to industry sources.
Container terminals in the harbour have been forced to suspend operations intermittently, or work at reduced capacity, this week as bad weather battered the region, triggering widespread berth schedule disruptions and vessel backlogs.
The worst-hit facility was PSA’s Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT), which suspended operations for nearly two days. This is JNPA’s largest container terminal by capacity, following the recent commissioning of its Phase 2 expansion.
The dockside accident involving ONE’s Dalian box ship at Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (NSFT), operated by CMA Terminals and JM Baxi, further strained port operations amid the weather-related disruptions.
Crane operations at terminals operated by DP World and APM Terminals were also curtailed at times due to gale-force winds, while torrential rain flooded freight storage areas in and around the port, damaging goods, industry stakeholders said.
“The weather has affected cargo movement, transportation and clearance activities,” the Brihanmumbai Customs Brokers Association (BCBA) said in a trade advisory.
“Customs brokers may face challenges in the timely clearance of documentation and delivery of import and export consignments,” the association added.
Container freight station operators serving JNPA have likewise cautioned customers that delays in container movement were unavoidable under the prevailing conditions.
“Continuous heavy rainfall, accompanied by strong winds, over the past week has resulted in flooding, waterlogging and severe traffic congestion across several stretches connecting the port terminals and container freight stations,” the Container Freight Stations Association of India told customers.
“The turnaround time of trailer trucks has increased substantially, adversely affecting the evacuation and delivery of both import and export containers between the port terminals and CFSs.”
The disruption added to the operational pressures already facing JNPA, where yard congestion had intensified following an influx of transhipment cargo diverted from the Middle East, exacerbated by a severe shortage of truck drivers, limiting landside evacuation capacity and contributing to mounting yard inventories.
However, that transhipment flow into JNPA is tapering off as Middle East services steadily return. The port’s transhipment handling in June was down to some 93,500 teu, from 97,500 teu in May, and 134,000 teu in April, according to data.
As a result, JNPA has seen significant throughput traction in the current fiscal year (2026-27) that began in April. According to the latest data, the port handled 2.25m teu in Q1, up 15% year on year.
Beyond the hurdles in seamlessly moving goods in and out of port and depot facilities, Indian exporters are facing a sharp spike in container freight rates across trades, due to a surge in bookings tied to front-loading demand and capacity disruptions.
Rates ex-India to the US east coast and North Europe have more than doubled over the past month, according to sources.
This article is © The Loadstar. Reproduction, rewriting, or derivative use requires a license. Contact [email protected] for licensing enquiries.
