India receives first sanctioned VLGC amid rush to secure LPG cargoes
- Carrier Aurora, ex-Sea Bird arrived at New Mangalore port on April 2 with LPG said to have been loaded in Assaluyeh, Iran, in early March
- India has in the past imported Iranian LPG and ammonia, but rarely from US-sanctioned vessels
- India’s seaborne LPG imports fell by about half in March
- At least eight India-flagged LPG carriers that were trapped in the Middle East Gulf have transited since mid-March amid diplomatic arrangements between Tehran and Delhi
Amid a crunch in seaborne LPG imports, Indian importers appear to have taken advantage of the recent temporary easing of US sanctions on Iran, receiving the first Ofac-sanctioned VLGC in New Mangalore
