<p data-path-to-node="5">Highlighting severe logistics bottlenecks and escalating trade costs, the <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="93">Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO)</b> has urged the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Ministry of Commerce to step in to protect Indian exporters from compounding freight disruptions caused by ongoing West Asia instability.</p><p data-path-to-node="6">In formal representations to key ministries, India's apex export promotion body raised serious concerns over severe port congestion at major western gateways including JNPA (Nhava Sheva), Mundra, and Kandla alongside non-transparent pricing practices and erratic surcharges imposed by foreign container shipping lines.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="8"><b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="0">Rising Surcharges, Port Congestion, and Key Industry Demands</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="9">The apex exporters' body outlined critical operational challenges squeezing exporter margins and proposed immediate policy remedies:</p><ul data-path-to-node="10"><li><p data-path-to-node="10,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Surcharge Hikes &amp; Opportunistic Pricing:</b> FIEO flagged steep emergency freight increases, uncoordinated War Risk Surcharges (WRS), and exorbitant detention and demurrage fees levied by foreign carriers, requesting standardized, transparent itemized billing across all shipping lines.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Western Port Gridlock:</b> Route diversions and container backlogs stemming from Strait of Hormuz transit delays have created severe congestion at India's major western container hubs, slowing container evacuation and disrupting production schedules.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Audit &amp; Ground Compliance Mechanisms:</b> FIEO called on maritime authorities to enforce existing Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) advisories against predatory pricing through strict audit mechanisms to ensure ground-level compliance by ocean carriers.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Single-Window Crisis Response:</b> To safeguard trade competitiveness, FIEO advocated establishing a unified crisis management cell combining the Shipping, Commerce, Road Transport, and Customs departments, alongside expanding port-side storage capacity and accelerating paperless clearance protocols.</p></li></ul>