West Asia conflict: LPG cargo ship from US arrives at New Mangalore Port

A cargo ship carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from the US state of Texas has arrived at New Mangalore Port in Mangaluru.

On Friday, March 20, 2026, the Ministry of Shipping notified that New Mangalore Port has waived cargo-related charges for crude oil and LPG between March 14 and 31. He also said that no blockage was reported at any port. At an inter-ministerial briefing, Special Secretary to the Ministry of Shipping Rajesh Kumar Sinha also said that 22 Indian ships and 611 sailors in the Persian Gulf are safe amid the West Asian conflict.

“There has been no report of any maritime accident in the last 24 hours. All our 22 ships and 611 Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf region are safe and we are constantly monitoring them… There is no congestion in any port… New Mangalore Port has issued a circular to waive all cargo-related charges for crude oil and LPG with effect from March 14 to March 31,” a Ministry of Shipping official said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that panic booking for LPG cylinders has reduced significantly, with only 55 lakh bookings reported on Thursday. Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing today, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, pointed out an improvement in the LPG crisis and said, “There is no panic booking now. Only 55 lakh LPG bookings were reported yesterday.”

Giving confidence to consumers, Sharma also said that there is no supply shortage across the country. “There is sufficient stock, no outlet is out of stock,” he said. But he acknowledged that concerns remain.

On Wednesday, March 18, Indian flagged crude oil tanker Jag Laadki successfully arrived at Adani Ports Mundra in Gujarat, making a significant contribution to the country’s energy imports. Earlier, two Indian-flagged LPG ships had safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz before reaching India on March 16 and 17.

MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, carrying approximately 92,712 metric tons of LPG, crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Friday, March 13, 2026. This comes as the conflict in West Asia enters its 4th week and trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz are blocked.