New Delhi, March 2 The government held discussions with exporters and logistics players on Monday to assess the impact of escalating tensions in the West Asian region on India's trade and assured all measures to mitigate any disruptions.
The US and Israel jointly launched military strikes on Iran on Saturday. Iran responded by firing drones and missiles at Israeli and US military installations in the Gulf, as well as at Dubai, a major business hub.
The meeting was organized by the Department of Commerce.
It consulted with all relevant ministries and key logistics and trade facilitation partners to review the emerging geopolitical situation and its potential impact on India's export-import (EXIM) cargo flows, including the export ecosystem.
The ministry stated that stakeholders presented an assessment of the evolving operational environment, including changes in routing and transit times, adjustments to vessel schedules, container/equipment availability, trends in freight and insurance costs, and implications for time-sensitive exports.
The participants emphasized the need to maintain predictability in cargo movement, minimize unnecessary delays, and ensure seamless documentation and payment processes for exporters and importers.
"The Department reiterated the Government of India's priority of ensuring continuity of EXIM logistics and mitigating any disruptions to India's trade flows," it said.
It was also emphasized that the approach will remain facilitative and coordinated, with a focus on maintaining supply chain resilience, protecting the interests of exporters—particularly MSMEs—with the understanding that essential imports required for domestic production and consumption are not adversely affected.
"During the meeting, it was agreed amongst the stakeholders to maintain close, real-time coordination for monitoring route and capacity developments, surcharges, and equipment availability," it said.
Mechanisms for facilitating time-sensitive export segments such as perishables, pharmaceuticals, and high-value manufactured exports were also discussed.
The meeting emphasized strengthening facilitation at ports/ICDs and ensuring smooth cargo evacuation to avoid congestion and extended dwell times.
The government reiterated its readiness to facilitate trade operations, including procedural flexibility in export-related authorizations in cases of genuine disruption; coordination with Customs authorities to ensure smooth clearance; and engagement with financial and insurance institutions to support exporter interests.
"The Department reaffirmed that it will continue to engage closely with all stakeholders and relevant Ministries/ Departments to ensure that India's trade continues to move efficiently and that any emerging issues are addressed in a timely manner," the ministry said.
The meeting was chaired by Special Secretary in the Department, Suchindra Misra, and Lav Agarwal, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
The meeting was attended by representatives from logistics operators and shipping lines/forwarders, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Reserve Bank of India, export promotion ecosystem and other concerned agencies.
