PTI By

NEW DELHI: Iron ore shipments handled by India's top 12 major ports witnessed a sharp decline of 38 per cent to only about 8 million tonnes (MT) in April-December period of the current fiscal.

The Centre-owned ports had handled 12.67 MT of iron ore in April-December period of the last fiscal.

Indian Ports Association (IPA), which maintains the cargo data handled by these 12 ports, in its recent report said that "percentage variation from previous year" in iron ore handling was as high as "37.94 per cent" in the first nine months of the current fiscal.

According to the Association, the iron ore handled by these ports in the first nine months stands at 7.86 MT as against 12.67 MT in the same period of the previous fiscal.

Miners body FIMI said the iron ore exports have taken a nosedive and actual exports done by ports are even lesser as the 8 MT ore handled by ports in April-December period also include domestic transportation of the cargo.

"The actual exports are much lesser during the period and the figures are awaited. The figures by Indian Ports Association also include domestic movement of iron ore by country's top miner NMDC," Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) General Secretary R K Sharma told PTI.

Mineral ore exporter bodies have already sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention for removal of export duty on iron ore, saying it will help in higher revenues of USD 750 million a year.

Besides, industry body GMOEA has written to the Prime Minister's Office urging it to remove the 10 per cent export duty on iron ore fines with Fe content below 58 per cent and the 30 per cent export duty on iron ore lumps, irrespective of grade, sources said.

Apart from that, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association has urged the Prime Minister to consider removing duty on fines above 58 per cent Fe content, which is 30 per cent at present.

The government had recently reduced export duty on iron ore pellets to zero from 5 per cent.

In 2014, the government had levied a 5 per cent export duty on iron ore pellets, which are value-added products of leftover material or low-grade iron ore and are used in steel-making.

Iron ore pellet makers as well as some miners had earlier sought a reduction in the export duty on iron ore to make it more competitive.