It appears that APM Terminals Pipavav, a port in Gujarat, India, has resumed its landside operations, with certain restrictions, after the weather improved following Cyclone Biparjoy. The port has also resumed rail yard activity, delivery services for import cargo and empty containers, and gate-in of reefer shipments. However, marine and quayside operations remain suspended until further notice. The port is monitoring the situation closely and aims to recommence all operations once it is confident about the safety of vessels, cargo, port infrastructure, and personnel.
Mundra Port, which is the busiest container handler in the region, is also monitoring the weather conditions. Port operations there will resume based on instructions from the administration.
The cyclone has disrupted shipping along the Gujarat coastline for the past week. Major carriers serving Indian containerized trades have made adjustments to their port calls and schedules. Maersk, for example, stated that up to eight sailings were expected to be affected and that they were working to find solutions for the impacted vessel schedules. CMA CGM, a French liner, also made changes to its Indian networks, including the Indamex 2 string serving India and the US East Coast.
While marine terminals are gradually returning to normal trade flows, it is expected that trucking and rail services will face difficulties due to the significant backlog of cargo. This could also have a lingering impact on the reliability of carrier services. Cargo owners may experience cost implications as they rush to secure trucks or warehouses for their shipments.
