Coordinated port relief to cushion shipping amid geopolitical turmoil.

State-Run Ports Asked to Match Centre’s Concessions Amid West Asia Shipping Disruptions.

The Union shipping ministry has urged state maritime boards to extend the same relief measures announced by the Centre to ports under their control, aiming to ease the burden on cargo stranded due to escalating tensions in West Asia. Mandeep Randhawa, Director at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said states have been asked to pass on concessions such as waivers or reductions in container storage charges and reefer plug-in fees. Speaking during an inter-ministerial briefing, Randhawa noted that the global energy and shipping trade has been severely disrupted after Iran and the United States announced separate blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, stranding several vessels, including Indian-flagged ships. He also confirmed that a Togo-flagged chemical tanker with 17 Indian seafarers encountered warning shots from Iranian authorities, but all crew members are safe and no injuries were reported.