India rescinded Jan/March 2026 orders rolling back cabotage easing; 2018 relaxations continue
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways issued an order dated 2026-08-10 rescinding General Order No. 1 of 2026 (21 Jan 2026) and General Order No. 2 of 2026 (31 Mar 2026) that had discontinued/paused partial cabotage relaxation. As a result, the three 2018 general orders allowing foreign-flag ships to carry specified cargo (including EXIM transshipment containers, empty containers for repositioning, certain agri/horticultural products, and fertilisers) on Indian coastal routes without a licence will continue in force with immediate effect.
Keeping these cabotage relaxations in force affects the availability of coastal shipping capacity for certain cargo types and the operating conditions for both foreign-flag and Indian-flag container carriers in India’s coastal trade.