Indian Ports Roll Out Common SOP to Cargo Moving Amid Shipping Disruptions

India’s major ports have begun implementing a common Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to keep West Asia-bound cargo flowing as the Strait of Hormuz crisis and wider Middle East tensions disrupt liner schedules.

The SOP, effective immediately and applicable across all 12 major ports, allows cargo destined for West Asia to be treated as transshipment during the disruption period, letting containers be offloaded and stored at Indian ports until new vessel connections are arranged without attracting penal storage or change-of-vessel costs. Ports have been directed to earmark additional storage areas where necessary, prioritise handling of perishable and reefer cargo, facilitate “back to town” movement of export boxes that shippers choose to divert back into the domestic market, and accommodate ad hoc vessel calls dropping or lifting Middle East-bound loads. Each major port has been asked to appoint a nodal officer responsible for resolving stakeholder issues within 24–72 hours and to send daily action-taken reports to the Ministry, which is closely tracking Indian-flagged ships and the build-up of Gulf-linked containers as part of a coordinated response to strain on global supply chains.