Disruptions on major shipping routes lengthen transit times, raise freight rates and surcharges, and can leave empty containers in the wrong places. For India, the Red Sea and Suez Canal route matters most, because it is the usual way to Europe, the Mediterranean and the US East Coast.
From late 2023, attacks on ships in the Red Sea led many carriers to route around the Cape of Good Hope instead. That added a week or more to many sailings from India to Europe and pushed up rates. The situation changes, so check the current routing with your forwarder.
What a disruption does
- Longer transit times, which tie up your cash and stock for longer.
- Higher freight and extra surcharges, sometimes with little notice.
- Fewer vessels calling at some ports, or skipped calls at smaller ports.
- Shortages of empty containers at Indian ports as ships run late.
- Rolled bookings, where your container misses its planned vessel.
- Higher war risk insurance premiums on affected routes.
- Bunching of arrivals at destination when delayed ships arrive together, which slows unloading and clearance.
Other disruptions to watch
- Weather, including cyclones on the Gujarat coast and winter storms at destination.
- Port strikes or labour disputes at origin, transhipment or destination ports.
- Congestion at transhipment hubs, where many India cargoes change vessels.
- Canal restrictions, or tensions in other sea lanes near the Gulf, which can affect routes and insurance.
Effects on agri cargo
Longer voyages mean more temperature cycles in the container and a higher risk of condensation, mould and caking. On long routes, dry product, lining and desiccants matter more, as covered in how to prevent container rain. Shelf life also runs down while goods are at sea.
Protecting your contract and timing
Typical transit times from Gujarat are covered in how long sea freight takes from Mundra. In a disruption, treat those figures as a minimum, and plan your stock and payment dates around the longer route. This is general guidance, not legal advice on force majeure or contract terms.
- Agree who carries freight changes. Under FOB you book and pay the freight. Under CFR or CIF the supplier does, and may ask for more.
- Fix the shipment date as a date of loading in India, not an arrival date, unless you buy on DAP.
- Ask your forwarder for transit times by current routing, not the published schedule.
- Allow extra lead time and stock when routes are disrupted.
- Check whether your insurance includes war and strikes cover.
How we help
We confirm vessel bookings and loading dates with the supplier and keep you updated when sailings change. We also check that the goods are dry and packed for the longer voyage. Ask for a free sourcing review.