According to the Indian government's Press Information Bureau (PIB), iron ore handling has commenced at Mormugao Port in the Indian state of Goa with an iron ore shipment of 70,000 mt destined for China, following the easing of the ban by India's Supreme Court on the sale of iron ore which has already been mined. The ban on extraction of iron ore in the country is still in force.
In October 2012, India's top court banned extraction and transportation of iron ore from Goa in an attempt to clamp down on illegal mining, thereby freezing shipments. The government of Goa had earlier invited bids for the sale of about 11 million mt of ore through e-auction lying at various locations following the easing of the Supreme Court ban. The buyers will be allowed to ship the ore overseas or sell locally. About 200,000 mt of iron ore had been lying at Mormugao Port, according to the PIB.