Chinese MAP vessel restarts discharging in Mumbai

A vessel carrying 30,000t of Chinese MAP has begun to discharge following initial customs delays at the Indian port of Mumbai.

The Princess Coco had experienced delays discharging at Mumbai, following its arrival and berthing on 23 June. The vessel left Shanghai with 30,000t of MAP on 4 June and discharged 700t of MAP. But this was suspended on 24 June and the vessel remained at anchorage.

The trading firm that fixed the vessel to ship the phosphates attributed the delay to a customs issue. But the vessel restarted discharging yesterday at 19:00 local time (13:30 GMT), according to market participants.

There have been increased tensions between the Indian and Chinese governments in recent weeks, following military clashes in mid-June.

By Harry Minihan