Overview
- Industry estimates say about 200,000 tonnes are stuck at Indian ports and a similar volume is halted in transit, with exporters struggling to secure vessels.
- Shipping lines have added steep war‑risk and congestion surcharges, container costs have risen by roughly $2,000, and freight rates have more than doubled on some routes.
- The Indian Rice Exporters Federation advised members to avoid new CIF contracts to Iran and Gulf destinations and to prefer FOB terms to shift freight and insurance risk to buyers.
- The Commerce Ministry held high‑level reviews, set up an inter‑ministerial group for supply‑chain resilience, and engaged the RBI and Department of Financial Services on export‑credit support.
- Exporters report delays in remittances, mounting demurrage and storage charges, and a drop of about ₹4–5 per kg in domestic basmati prices after shipments stalled.