According to a report by the Economic Times, the congestion at the two key hubs is affecting the movement of Indian export cargo, with exporters experiencing delays and increasing uncertainty over vessel availability.   The situation has been further aggravated by a sharp increase in China-US trade, which is absorbing a larger share of the global container fleet. Shipping lines are deploying more vessels and containers on the China-US trade corridor, leaving fewer containers and feeder vessels available for other markets, including India.   The disruptions come at a time when Indian exporters are already dealing with elevated freight costs, longer transit times and vessel schedule uncertainty caused by wider geopolitical and shipping-route disruptions.      The congestion at Singapore and Colombo is particularly significant because both ports serve as important transhipment gateways for Indian cargo moving to global markets. Any disruption at these hubs can have a cascading impact on cargo schedules, feeder connections and delivery timelines.   For exporters, the shortage of feeder capacity means containers may face longer waiting periods before being connected to mainline vessels. This can increase the risk of missed sailings, delayed deliveries and additional logistics costs.      The latest disruption highlights the vulnerability of India’s export supply chains to congestion at overseas transhipment hubs and reinforces the need to develop stronger direct shipping connectivity and domestic transhipment capacity.

With global shipping networks being repeatedly reshaped by geopolitical tensions, changing trade flows and capacity reallocation, Indian exporters are increasingly being forced to navigate a volatile freight market where vessel availability and transit reliability remain major concerns.