According to The Loadstar, Indian exporters are confronting a severe shortage of empty containers at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), also known as Nhava Sheva Port, amid widespread vessel schedule disruptions that have thrown container equipment cycles off balance.
Acute Shortage Affects Major Carriers
The shortage is especially acute for French liner CMA CGM, though it impacts most carriers operating at JNPA. Container depots in and around Nhava Sheva Port have informed customers they cannot offer pick-ups of empties for CMA CGM. Freight station service provider Seabird confirmed the operational strain:
“Despite vehicles being sent to the yards and waiting in long queues, containers are still not being released due to the ongoing shortage. This situation is beyond our control and may result in delays or failure to complete the pick-up within the required timeline.”
The scarcity is most pronounced for 40ft boxes, with one source reporting difficulty securing empties for bookings with Hapag-Lloyd at multiple inland container depots (ICDs) across northern India. As India remains historically a deficit region for ocean containers, repositioning and imports from the Far East constitute the primary replenishment sources for container lines.
Industry stakeholders attribute the equipment crunch to two interlinked factors: disrupted equipment inventory cycles caused by deteriorating service reliability, and surging demand for Indian exports — particularly last month’s stronger-than-anticipated rush of shipments bound for the US, where 40ft boxes are predominantly used.
Record Throughput Amid Trade Imbalance
JNPA recorded record container throughput in August, handling 832,000 teu — an increase of 12% month on month and 20% year on year, according to official port data. Notably, the port handled more export containers than imported boxes — a rare trade pattern at Indian gateways.
This surge aligns with robust national export performance: India’s overall goods export trade by value grew by 26.12% in August, government data shows. SC Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, stated:
“The 26.12% growth in August is a very encouraging performance, and yet again reflects the resilience, competitiveness, and adaptability of Indian exporters.”
Ralhan also emphasized market diversification, adding:
“Equally significant is the broadening of India’s export markets, which indicates that our exporters are increasingly leveraging new and emerging opportunities while strengthening their presence in traditional markets.”
Compounding Digital and Regulatory Bottlenecks
Beyond physical equipment shortages, digital infrastructure failures are impeding cargo movement. Importers and customs brokers report persistent glitches on ICEGATE — Indian Customs’ integrated electronic gateway portal — resulting in widespread manifest filing failures and system errors.
The Brihanmumbai Custom Brokers’ Association reported that clearance of cargo covered by affected manifests has come to a complete standstill, exposing importers to major penalty consequences. These concurrent supply chain hurdles — from container scarcity to platform unreliability — are collectively constraining the pace of cargo volumes moving in and out of Indian ports.
Source: The Loadstar
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
