Govt holds multi-agency meeting with exporters to review disruptions due to West Asia crisis

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Monday (March 2, 2026) held a meeting with all stakeholder Ministries, key logistics and trade facilitation partners to review the emerging geo-political situation due to the conflict in West Asia and its potential impact on India’s export-import cargo flows, including the export ecosystem, the government said.

The meeting was attended by representatives from logistics operators and shipping lines and forwarders, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, the Department of Financial Services, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Reserve Bank of India, and various export promotion bodies.

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“The Government reiterated its readiness to facilitate trade operations, including procedural flexibility in export-related authorisations in cases of genuine disruption, coordination with Customs authorities to ensure smooth clearance, engagement with financial and insurance institutions to support exporter interests, and continued inter-ministerial coordination,” the Ministry said in a release.

During the meeting the stakeholders presented an assessment of the evolving operational environment, including routing and transit-time changes, vessel scheduling adjustments, container and equipment availability, freight and insurance cost trends, and implications for time-sensitive exports, the government said. 

“The discussions covered the need to maintain predictability in cargo movement, minimise avoidable delays, and ensure seamless documentation and payment processes for exporters and importers,” the release added.

All the stakeholders present during the meeting agreed to maintain close, real-time coordination for monitoring route and capacity developments, surcharges, and equipment availability. 

“India has successfully navigated multiple global disruptions in recent years and continues to strengthen supply chain resilience,” the government said. “The Government remains committed to ensuring that India remains a stable and reliable trading partner.”

Separately, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas also said it reviewed on Monday the supply of oil, natural has and other petroleum products.

“In view of ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East, the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas reviewed the supply situation for crude oil, LPG, and other petroleum products with senior officials from the Ministry and PSUs,” the Ministry said on X. “We are continuously monitoring the evolving situation and all steps will be taken in order to ensure availability and affordability of major petroleum products in the country.”