India’s basmati rice exporters have sharply criticised global shipping lines for what they describe as “hypocritical” and “extortionist” practices in handling cargo stranded due to the ongoing Iran conflict and the resulting disruption at the Strait of Hormuz. The Basmati Rice Farmers and Exporters Development Forum (BFEDF) said shipments worth millions of dollars remain stuck at inland container depots (ICDs), transhipment hubs such as Jebel Ali in the UAE, and even mid-sea, as carriers invoke force majeure to avoid delivery obligations while continuing to levy charges. BFEDF Chairperson Priyanka Mittal told business line that shipping lines are taking an “asymmetrical position” by citing force majeure due to war conditions to deny delivery, but not extending the same relief to exporters.
