Bangladesh and India’s key ports — Chattogram Port and Mundra Port — are under mounting pressure as surging trade volumes collide with capacity constraints, prompting operational strain and rising costs for exporters, shipping lines and inland logistics operators alike.
In Chattogram, the summer spike in vessel traffic is largely a fallout from India’s recent clampdown on land-based trade with Bangladesh. In May, New Delhi imposed sweeping restrictions on several Bangladesh exports via land routes, including ready-made garments, jute products and processed foods, in response to Dhaka’s earlier ban on yarn imports from India through land ports. As land corridors dried up, traders rerouted shipments to sea, causing a flood of containers into Chattogram. The Port of Chattogram now handles more than 90 percent of Bangladesh’s foreign trade, amplifying its exposure to overload.
In August, the port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) processed about 122,517 TEUs, up 27.6 percent over the same month last year. The port’s overall throughput for 2025 is projected to reach 3.7 million TEUs, a near-13 percent increase over 2024.
Despite the surge, the port has seen signs of breathing room in recent weeks: average waiting times to berth have dropped from peaks of 4.5 days to about 1.19 days, according to Kuehne+Nagel’s operational updates. Yard occupancy remains high, at about 85.4 percent, prompting stricter time limits—especially on gearless vessels. Four vessels were waiting for a berth at the time of reporting.
Some of the easing reflects concerted efforts by port authorities to speed handling and limit container dwell time. But structural constraints persist: equipment bottlenecks, yard space limits, road congestion and periodic labour unrest continue to dampen operational flexibility. Over September, protests among port workers added strain to already delicate processes.
India’s Mundra Port, meanwhile, is reeling from landside delays that threaten freight flows into northern states. Vessel waiting times at Mundra have slightly improved—from 1.48 days to 1.38 days over the past week—but still exceed earlier norms. The port is contending with container yard congestion, limited gate capacity and growing inward demand as exporters and importers reroute through seaports rather than over extended land corridors.
Mundra’s situation is not isolated. Across India’s western seaboard, lines stretching into rail and road networks are inching toward saturation. Monsoon weather intermittently interrupts terminal operations, and hinterland connectivity remains a critical constraint for inland distribution.
The clash of surging volumes and constrained infrastructure is driving freight cost inflation and delays. For Bangladesh exporters, sea routing is inherently costlier and slower than land transit. For Indian importers, the rerouting of goods from land to sea can add layers of logistics complexity and lead times. Moreover, dependence on overburdened ports amplifies vulnerability: any disruption — whether from storms, breakdowns or labour stoppages — could cascade into supply chain stoppages across a wide region.
Looking ahead, incremental optimizations may not be enough for these ports. Both ports will need to accelerate infrastructure upgrades — adding yard capacity, boosting crane productivity, expanding road and rail links, and deploying smart container stacking and scheduling systems.
For Chattogram, faster development of satellite container depots and unlocking land access for overflow stockpiles will be critical. For Mundra, improvements in gate throughput, hinterland rail links and digital freight management could help absorb the load.
If policy conditions shift (for example, if India revisits land-port restrictions), some pressure may ease. But for now, South Asia’s busiest maritime gateways remain in the eye of a container storm.
