The disruption in trade has particularly affected rice shipments as the Gulf is one of the largest importers of Indian basmati rice, and shipments to West Asia typically rise during Ramadan. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE and Iran are among the largest importers of Indian rice. “Over 3000 rice containers are stuck at Indian ports. The shipments are stuck in three nodes: at Indian ports, in transit and at the destination port. Earlier, Satish Goel, president of the All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA), told this paper that about 2 lakh tonnes of basmati are stuck at Indian ports.

Source: Indian Express March 05, 2026 13:16 UTC