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JNPA Waives Charges for Export Containers Stranded by West Asia Crisis

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority has announced a significant waiver on storage and reefer plug-in charges for export containers stranded due to Middle East geopolitical disturbances. This relief, effective for 15 days from late February to mid-March 2026, follows directives from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. A dedicated task force has been established, with Girish Thomas appointed as the single point of contact for coordination. The port is also providing additional storage space and working with customs to facilitate the temporary storage of transhipment cargo destined for the disrupted region.

Key Points: JNPA Waives Fees for Exporters Amid Middle East Disruptions

  • 15-day waiver on ground rent
  • 80% waiver on reefer plug-in charges
  • Follows Ministry of Ports SOP
  • Support for perishable goods cargo
  • Task force appointed for coordination
3 min read

JNPA announces waiver of storage and reefer charges to support Export-Import community amid West Asia disruptions

JNPA announces 15-day waiver on storage and reefer charges for West Asia-bound export containers to support EXIM community during geopolitical crisis.

"JNPA is committed to extending all possible assistance to the Export-Import (EXIM) community to tide over this crisis. - JNPA Notice"

Mumbai, March 10

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority has issued a trade notice today regarding the waiver of storage/dwell time charges and reefer plug-in charges for West Asia-bound export containers stranded in the port area due to geopolitical disturbances in the Gulf region.

This move follows the directives issued by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) on March 6, 2026, which established a "Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Major Ports to mitigate the impact of geo-political disturbances in the Middle East".

"In line with the MoPS&W directives, JNPA is committed to extending all possible assistance to the Export-Import (EXIM) community to tide over this crisis. JNPA have decided to offer a waiver on charges like ground rent and reefer plug-in charges to the stranded export containers," the notice said.

Yesterday, another press release by JNPA highlighted that the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has issued the SOP for all the major ports to mitigate the impact of geopolitical disturbance in the Middle East.

Accordingly, JNPort constituted a task force which included the Joint DGFT, Additional Commissioner of Customs, CGM (Traffic) JNPA, and the Deputy Director General of Shipping.

Girish Thomas, CGM (Traffic) at JNPA, has been appointed as the Single Point of Contact for all coordination and communications related to these trade disruptions.

The disruption has impacted vessel schedules and export cargo movement to the Middle East, prompting coordinated efforts between port authorities and trade stakeholders.

In its latest notice, JNPA confirmed all terminal operators shall give a 100% waiver on ground rent and dwell time charges for up to 15 days (from 0000 hours on February 28, 2026, up to 2400 hours on March 14, 2026) for containers lying inside the terminals from February 28 or those that gated in till 0700 hours on March 8, 2026.

Furthermore, terminal operators shall waive 80 per cent of the reefer plug-in charges up to 15 days (from 0000 hours on 28.02.2026 till 2400 hours on 14.03.2026) to those stranded reefer containers loaded with perishable goods, which were lying inside from 28th February 2026 or those which had gated in till 0700 hours on 08.03.2026 only.

JNPA is also providing additional storage area to the terminals for stacking such additional cargo and offering a facility to store stranded containers in the terminal's container yards till the cargo is shipped out.

JNPA and the terminals are also in constant consultation with customs authorities to facilitate storage of laden containers from other ports destined to the Middle East, as temporary transhipment cargo at JNPA terminals.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone working in logistics, I can say this SOP and the task force are steps in the right direction. Having a single point of contact (Girish Thomas) will cut through a lot of red tape. The coordination with Customs is key. Let's see how smoothly it's implemented on the ground.
A
Arjun K
Good initiative, but 15 days may not be enough if the disruptions continue. What happens after March 14th? The notice should clarify the plan for an extension. Also, the 80% waiver on reefer charges is helpful, but why not 100% for such critical cargo? 🤔
P
Priya S
Finally, some relief for our exporters! My uncle's company has containers stuck. The storage charges were mounting daily. This proactive move by the government shows they are listening to the business community. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 Hope other major ports follow suit quickly.
M
Michael C
The economic ripple effects of instability in the Gulf are significant. It's encouraging to see a structured SOP being rolled out. Providing additional storage area is a smart, practical solution. This is how a major trading nation should handle supply chain crises.
K
Kavya N
A good decision, but communication to the actual small exporters needs to be better. Many won't know about this notice. JNPA and DGFT should run awareness campaigns via trade bodies. The help is useless if people don't know how to claim it.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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