Ports

Empty Container Shortage Strains Indian Exporters at Nhava Sheva Port

Container availability has become a critical constraint for shippers at JNPA as vessel schedule disruptions disrupt equipment cycling. CMA CGM faces particularly acute shortages, prompting major container depots to inform customers of pickup delays. Service providers report extended waits at yards without container releases. Forty-foot boxes are experiencing the most severe scarcity. Hapag-Lloyd bookings at inland container depots across northern India have been difficult to fulfill due to equipment constraints. India's structural deficit in container inventory means repositioning stock from Far Eastern ports typically supplies the market. The crunch stems from two pressures: reliability challenges hampering equipment turnover and a surge in export demand. August saw record container activity at JNPA, handling 832,000 containers. U.S.-bound shipments, which predominantly require 40-foot capacity, drove this surge.