The resolution was finalised
at a meeting on Saturday between the Mundra Empty Container Yards & Allied
Services Provider Association (MECYASA) and senior APSEZ officials. Under the agreed arrangement, APSEZ will
collect ₹2,500 for 20-foot containers and ₹3,500 for 40-foot containers from
shipping lines when empty containers are delivered to or picked up from Mundra
Port. Shipping lines are expected to recover the charges from customers,
according to sources familiar with the agreement. APSEZ is also expected to issue a trade
notice formally withdrawing its late-August decision to freeze the empty depot
codes of operators located outside the port limits. The earlier decision required shipping
lines to nominate empty containers to designated empty container yards within
Mundra SEZ limits, ending the practice of routing empty boxes to
shipping-line-nominated depots outside the port area. APSEZ had said the initiative was aimed at
reducing road congestion and vehicle turnaround times, shortening container
movements, optimising logistics costs, cutting truck travel and emissions, and
strengthening container inspection, safety and security controls. The move, however, triggered opposition
from empty yard operators and led to a wider strike, with around 1,500
container transporters servicing Mundra Port also joining the disruption. Mundra Port handles around 35% of India’s
container trade and nearly 1.6 million TEUs of empty containers annually,
making the resolution significant for the smooth functioning of the country’s
import-export supply chains.