Bulk minerals from Gujarat move in three main ways: loose in a bulk carrier, bagged as break bulk in a ship's hold, or bagged in containers. Large volumes of crude material usually go in bulk, and smaller or higher-value orders usually go in containers.
The best option depends on your volume, the facilities at your receiving port, the value of the product and how much moisture or handling damage it can take.
Bulk carriers
Loose bulk is the cheapest way to move large tonnages. Salt, crude bentonite, limestone and bauxite often ship this way from Deendayal (Kandla), Mundra, Pipavav and Bhavnagar. Cargoes are usually sized to the vessel, from handysize ships for smaller parcels to Supramax and larger ships for big ones.
Bulk needs a deep-water berth, grabs or conveyors, and covered storage at both ends. You also need a charter or a slot on a vessel. The shipper must declare the cargo under the IMSBC Code, and some fine, moist minerals need moisture testing before loading because they can shift or liquefy at sea.
Break bulk
Break bulk means bagged cargo, such as jumbo bags, stowed directly in a general cargo or bulk ship's hold. It suits buyers taking several thousand tonnes of bagged material to a port with good stevedoring. It saves the cost of containers but brings more handling, more risk of torn bags, and less protection from damp. Holds must be clean and dry before loading, and bags should be stowed with dunnage and covered if rain is likely. Agree who pays for torn bags and lost cargo before the vessel arrives.
Containers
Containers suit orders from one box up to a few hundred tonnes, and processed grades that must stay clean and dry. Bags or jumbo bags are loaded into 20-foot containers, because minerals are heavy and reach the weight limit quickly. Some cargoes ship loose in containers fitted with a bulk liner bag.
Containers give door-to-door delivery and regular sailings, but cost more per tonne for big volumes. Check road weight limits in your country before fixing the load per container. How salt is shipped and bentonite in bulk or bags give product details.
Choosing between them
- Choose bulk when you buy shiploads, have a bulk berth, and can store and process loose material.
- Choose break bulk when you buy large bagged volumes and your port handles general cargo well.
- Choose containers when you buy smaller lots, need clean product, or have no port facilities.
- In every case, agree who appoints the surveyor and how quantity is measured, by draft survey or weighbridge.
Next step
We supervise loading, check quantity and packing, and work with your forwarder on the shipping documents. To choose a freight route for your mineral, book a free sourcing review.