Exporters and Shippers Get Relief Lifeline as India Rolls Out Middle East Crisis Protocol for Major Ports

Indian exporters and shipping stakeholders grappling with stranded cargo, mounting port charges, and broken supply chains in the wake of Middle East geopolitical tensions have been handed a formal relief framework, after the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issued a nationwide SOP for major ports on 6 March 2026.

The directive — addressed to port chairpersons and managing directors across all major ports — puts ports on notice to treat the current disruption as a structured crisis, with concrete obligations to assist trade users rather than leaving them to navigate disruptions on a case-by-case basis.

For exporters whose cargo has been stuck at port — unable to sail to the Middle East due to vessel rerouting or cancellations — the SOP offers a critical relief measure: ports may permit that cargo to be categorised as transshipment cargo during the affected period, freeing it from standard storage restrictions. Ports are additionally empowered to allocate dedicated extra storage areas to absorb such cargo without penalising exporters.

The SOP also addresses what has become one of the most painful issues for exporters: the accumulation of storage rent, reefer plugging charges, and vessel-change fees on cargo they have been unable to move. Under the new framework, ports are explicitly permitted to consider requests for reduction, waiver, or remission of these charges on a case-by-case basis, depending on circumstances at each port.

For time-critical shipments, the SOP offers direct relief measures. Ports must provide priority handling for perishable cargo to prevent deterioration, and must give priority consideration to export cargo returning from the Middle East — a provision that recognises the increasing volume of rejected or redirected consignments flowing back to Indian shores.

Shippers and vessel operators will also benefit from the SOP’s provision enabling ports to facilitate berthing for ad-hoc call vessels — those making unscheduled stops to drop or collect Middle East-bound transhipment cargo. This is a significant operational concession, as ad-hoc calls are typically lower priority in port scheduling.

To move stranded export cargo back to the hinterland swiftly, the SOP directs ports to facilitate ‘Back to Town’ movement of port-held export cargo in coordination with Customs — a process that previously could be slow and bureaucratically cumbersome.

A dedicated nodal officer at each port — available around the clock — will be the single point of contact for trade users requiring assistance, with a binding 24-hour response window for port-level matters and 72 hours for issues requiring multi-agency coordination.

The framework applies specifically to cargo and vessels bound for the Middle East that are affected by the ongoing West Asia crisis. Each port is required to submit a daily action-taken report to the Ministry, ensuring accountability and visibility at the national level.

Industry bodies representing exporters, freight forwarders and logistics operators had been calling for government intervention as the disruption — now stretching across several months — has inflated shipping costs and created significant uncertainty for export commitments. The new SOP, while not resolving the underlying geopolitical situation, provides a structured operational safety net for India’s trade community navigating one of the most challenging maritime environments in recent years.