The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has announced a waiver on certain port charges for export containers bound for West Asia that are currently stranded at the port due to ongoing geopolitical disruptions in the region.

In a trade notice issued in line with directives from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, JNPA said terminal operators will provide a 100% waiver on ground rent or dwell-time charges for up to 15 days, covering the period from February 28 to March 14, 2026.

The terminal operators will also provide an 80% waiver on reefer plug-in charges for refrigerated containers carrying perishable cargo that are stranded at the port during the same period.

The relief measures come as thousands of containers destined for West Asia remain stuck at ports following disruptions to shipping routes amid the ongoing regional tensions.

JNPA said it is facilitating the temporary storage of stranded containers within terminal yards until the cargo can be shipped out. The port authority is also coordinating with customs authorities to allow laden containers arriving from other ports and destined for West Asia to be stored at JNPA terminals as temporary transshipment cargo.

The port has also made additional storage space available to terminal operators to accommodate the increased cargo.

The development comes after exporters flagged the mounting financial burden due to ground rent, parking and reefer plug-in charges for containers that were unable to move because of the disruption in shipping services.

CNBC-TV18 was the first to highlight the issue, reporting on the additional charges being levied on stranded containers and the operational challenges faced by exporters at ports.

Over the past 10 days, CNBC-TV18 has been consistently reporting from the ground and speaking to exporters who raised concerns over rising costs, including reefer plug-in and parking charges, as containers piled up at port terminals.

Exporters had warned that the additional charges were adding to the financial strain at a time when shipments to the region were already facing delays due to the geopolitical situation.

The port authority has also directed shipping lines, NVOCCs and freight forwarders to ensure that the benefits of the waivers are passed on to the actual exporters.

Source: CNBC TV 18 

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