The Basmati Rice Farmers & Exporters Development Forum (BRFEDF) on Monday urged the government to step in against what it termed arbitrary and opaque shipping charges that are severely impacting India’s rice exports.
In a statement, the forum said war-risk surcharges have surged dramatically—ranging from $800 to as high as $6,000 per container—often imposed without prior notice and, in some cases, revised even after cargo has already been shipped. Exporters reported that cumulative logistics costs have risen to 60–70 per cent of cargo value, rendering many shipments commercially unviable.
“Exporters are effectively being asked to absorb open-ended financial liability for circumstances entirely beyond their control,” said BRFEDF Chairperson Priyanka Mittal.
The ongoing West Asia crisis has further disrupted shipping operations, with carriers unilaterally diverting cargo to alternative ports such as Jebel Ali, Sohar, and Salalah. Containers are also being held at transshipment hubs without clear timelines for onward movement, while in some instances, shipments are being returned to origin ports. Exporters claim they are being forced to bear the financial burden of these decisions despite having no role in them.
Highlighting the strain on the sector, the forum warned that smaller exporters are particularly vulnerable due to limited bargaining power against large global shipping lines. Several traders indicated that mounting and unpredictable charges have pushed them to consider abandoning cargo altogether.
BRFEDF has called for immediate regulatory intervention, including linking charges strictly to services rendered, ensuring the release of containers without tying them to disputed fees, and establishing transparent guidelines for cargo handling during geopolitical disruptions.
While acknowledging that the Directorate General of Shipping has taken note of the issue and forwarded complaints to an inter-ministerial group, the forum said ground-level conditions remain “extremely challenging.”
Mittal cautioned that if such practices persist, they could set a damaging precedent and erode confidence in India’s maritime trade framework.
