The Ministry of Shipping has assured freighters and exporters to help address the challenges arising due to high war surcharges, even as the ports have been instructed to waive off handling, infrastructure, or imbalance charges for the next 30-days for the export containers stuck there.
Representatives from freighters and exporters met the government recently and some of them raised concerns of high war-risk surcharges being imposed on them by several global shipping lines. “All the ports, shipping lines and exporters, and freight forwarders met us and highlighted the war-risk surcharges. They have been asked to send the details of the companies/ bodies who are imposing war surcharges, and the government will address them. We will take up the matter,” said Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary, Shipping Ministry. The government also assured that any challenges arising in terms of freight insurances will also be addressed, if needed.
The Freighters’ Association also wrote to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) seeking the adoption of a uniform practice on all-India basis at all ports, regarding export consignments that are stranded after carrying out customs clearance. CBIC has directed that for liquid or bulk cargo, temporary unloading and storage can be allowed in India under strict customs supervision, but these goods cannot be sold in India and must be re-exported. Trans-shipment can also be moved to other countries from India till March 31, 2026.
For such cargoes, CBIC instructed that customs may permit temporary unloading and storage in Customs approved bonded warehouses, for a limited period till re-export.
State-run Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has also extended free storage period and waiver on several fees like plug-in charges, wharfage charges. For the export-bound containers that have remained stranded at inland container depots, CONCOR has announced a 30-day “dies-non” period — a time during which no penalties are levied — over and above the existing free storage window. This will be applicable for the export containers received between March 1 and March 31, 2026. For consignments already dispatched to ports but returned unsailed, CONCOR has waived additional charges and offered a 5% discount on rail freight, subject to documentation from shipping lines or Customs.