New Delhi: Rice exporters on Thursday sought urgent relief measures from the government to tackle disruptions caused by the Iran crisis following the joint attack by the US and Israel on the Islamic nation.
Exporters have requested waiver of port-related charges such as storage, demurrage and other levies when cargo is rolled due to vessel cancellations. They have also asked authorities to facilitate the return, diversion or redirection of cargo in transit, with support from customs and the RBI for documentation and payment adjustments.
They further urged the government to issue an advisory recognising the disruption as a force majeure–type event to prevent contractual penalties, and sought temporary banking support through ad-hoc working capital limits and credit extensions.
The Indian Rice Exporters Federation said exporters are facing severe shipping and logistics disruptions amid instability across key maritime routes.
Exporters report container shortages, cancelled vessel calls to the Middle East & rising logistics costs, with freight rates up 15–20%, higher war-risk insurance and fuel prices, while basmati prices fell 7–10%, increasing working-capital stress.