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

A cargo ship carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Texas, United States, has arrived at the New Mangalore Port in Mangaluru.

On Friday (March 20, 2026), the Shipping Ministry informed that New Mangalore Port has waived cargo-related charges for crude oil and LPG from March 14 to 31. It also said that there is no congestion reported at any port. In an interministerial briefing, Special Secretary of the Shipping Ministry, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, also said all 22 Indian ships and 611 sailors in the Persian Gulf are safe amid the West Asia conflict.

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

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that panic booking of LPG cylinders has declined 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, highlighted an improvement in the LPG crisis, saying, “There is no panic booking now. Only 55 lakh LPG booking reported yesterday.”

Reassuring consumers, Sharma also said that there is no shortage of supply across the country. “There is adequate stock available, no outlets are dry out,” she stated. However, she acknowledged that concerns remain.

On Wednesday (March 18), the Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, Jag Laadki, successfully arrived at Adani Ports Mundra in Gujarat, marking a significant addition to the nation’s energy imports. Earlier, the two Indian-flagged LPG carriers safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz before arriving in India on March 16 and 17.

MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi — carrying approximately 92,712 metric tonnes of LPG — crossed the Strait of Hormuz early Friday (March 13, 2026). This comes as the conflict in West Asia enters its 4th week, with trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz hampered.