In India's major posrts, cargo traffic fell 5.3 per cent year to year (YoY) to 48.9 million tonne in January 2012. For year to date (YTD) Fiscal Year (FY)12, cargo volumes dipped 0.2 per cent YoY to 467 million tonne. It is believed that the decline is due to the ban on iron ore exports. Iron ore exports plunged 57.4 per cent YoY to 4.3 million tonne.
 
 Container cargo volumes in January 2012 grew 1.2 per cent YoY to 10.7 million tonne, and up 8 per cent YoY to 100.6 million tonne in YTD FY12. Cargo volumes, ex-iron ore, were driven by container cargo, followed by coal and Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL). Coal cargo volumes grew 2.8 per cent YoY to 6.9 million tonne (this accounts for 14 per cent to all-India cargo volume), while POL volumes grew 4.4 per cent to 16.5 million tonne.
 
 Growth in these categories was off-set by the steep decline in iron ore cargo. Iron ore cargo volumes stood at 4.3 million tonne, down 57.4 per cent YoY, led by the ban on iron ore exports.