india ports cargo trapped!2 Jul 2020 16:39
(The Straits Times) — As tensions remain high along the India-China border, a fallout of the border row appears to be Chinese imports being stuck at ports and airports across India, where they go through intense checks.Imports range from pulse oximeters to printed circuit boards, active pharmaceutical ingredients and chemicals for fertilisers.It is understood that imports from China, valued at $70.3 billion last year, have been subject to intense physical checks since tensions spiked following the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in a border clash on June 15.Associations representing different industries — from automobiles to phones, computers, electronics and agriculture — said they are getting distress calls from members. They have urged the Indian government to ensure faster clearances to prevent manufacturing disruptions.
“There are thousands of operators and thousands of importers who have been impacted. It’s a very difficult situation,” said Pankaj Mohindroo, the founder and national president of the Indian Cellular Association, which represents manufacturers like Taiwan’s Foxconn.The mobile and electronics industry — which includes manufacturers, brand owners and technology providers — receives $1 billion worth of imports from China every week.The managing director of Chakradhar Chemicals, Neeraj Kedia, has been waiting to receive a shipment of chemicals used in the making of fertilizers since June 16.
Yesterday, he received news that the shipment is being released from Chennai port, two weeks after it landed there. Customs clearance usually takes three to four days.
“I am a little apprehensive of further imports. My next shipment is on the high seas,” he said.
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