The ongoing Middle East conflict has begun to choke supply chains, affecting exporters at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai, where more than 1,000 export containers are currently stranded, officials and traders say.
Many of the containers carry perishable agricultural produce, including onions, grapes, papaya, bananas and other fruits and vegetables destined for Gulf countries via trans-shipment hubs such as Dubai, but exports have stalled as shipping routes and market operations face disruption.
Among the backlog, around 150 refrigerated containers carrying roughly 5,400 tonnes of onions from Nashik are awaiting shipment, while additional containers have reached Gulf ports but remain stuck there due to paused operations.
Exporters warn that mounting storage and refrigeration costs, often running into thousands of rupees per container per day, and the deteriorating outlook for overseas markets are adding financial strain. If the stalemate persists, traders may have to offload goods domestically, potentially affecting prices and supply in local markets.The disruption highlights how geopolitical tensions far from Indian shores can ripple through global trade networks, impacting supply chains, logistics costs and agriculture exporters who rely heavily on West Asia for key markets.
