Coastal shipping between Kochi and Gujarat has taken a hit following prolonged disruptions in the ceramic manufacturing hub of Morbi, a key driver of cargo movement along the western coast.

Rahul Modi, Member of the National Shipping Board and Managing Director of Pushpak Logistics, said that reduced cargo availability has affected vessel utilisation and led to schedule delays. Morbi, which contributes an estimated 60–65 per cent of India’s coastal container cargo, has remained largely shut for the past six weeks due to geopolitical factors impacting gas supply and labour availability. While initial shipments were sustained using existing inventories, stocks have now nearly run out, significantly slowing cargo flow.

The disruption has had a cascading impact on the logistics ecosystem, with transporters and multimodal operators facing a sharp slowdown in business and idle fleet capacity. Industry stakeholders stress that restoring gas supply and workforce stability is critical to reviving production and normalising coastal shipping operations.

K.S. Binu of the Kerala Steamer Agents Association said a visible decline in export volumes from Kochi to Gujarat over the past two months. Container volumes dropped to 5574 TEUs in March 2026, down from 7531 TEUs in January. Key commodities shipped include plywood and petroleum by-products. However, import volumes from Gujarat to Kochi have remained stable so far. The full extent of the disruption’s impact on inbound cargo is yet to be assessed. Overall, exports from Kochi to Gujarat have declined by around 30 per cent, reflecting the broader slowdown in coastal trade linked to the Morbi cluster shutdown.

Prakash Iyer of Cochin Port Users Forum said that coastal shipping operations have become expensive in the absence of any return cargo which the shipping lines managed to build through marketing and offering special prices. The emerging situation has forced shipping lines to reduce their services owing to lower volume of cargo.

Trailer operators are also bearing the brunt of lower volume of cargo, forcing them to idle at Kochi. The absence of cargo has led to recurring expenses of many small-time freight forwarders, who are planning to close down their offices. The geo-political situation has also led to high cost of operations for the Exim trade due to delayed transit time, he added.

Published on April 21, 2026