Basmati exports from India affected by drone attacks on ships in Red Sea channel

Basmati rice exports from India to Gulf countries and Europe have been affected by the drone attacks on ships in the Red sea channel  for the last one month commerce minister Piyushgoyal said

Barring rice exports, no immediate impact of the crisis in the Red Sea has been reported on Indian trade, the minister said while talking to newspersons. “Red Sea disruption is a matter of fact. Till now no immediate impact has been reported,” “When we will get data for the month (December 2023) we will find out whether there has been a significant impact. One industry that has got impacted I am told is rice exports. More details will be known when we get more figures,” Goyal added.

As Yemen’s Houthi rebels began targeting cargo ships traversing the Suez Canal, major shipping lines of the world started avoiding this route, which meant taking a longer route around Africa to connect Asia and Europe.

Last week, a Japanese tanker with an Indian crew was attacked by drones which prompted India to deploy its 3 warships in the Arabian Sea. As the US, with its allies, intensified patrolling of the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, confidence has returned. Starting Tuesday the bigger shipping lines of the world have announced the return of some of their vessels to the Suez route.