Iron ore exported by unclassified traders not illegal: GMOEA

Panaji, Sep 21: A body of Iron Ore exporters on Wednesday, Sep 21 clarified that ore exported by unclassified traders from Goa ports cannot be necessarily considered as "illegal".

Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA), in a press note released today, has said that those exporters who are not registered with the association were labeled as ''unclassified" in the data compiled by the association.

"However, the assumption that unclassified is essentially illegal is misleading and misconstrued," the press note said.

GMOEA statistics had revealed that a total of 54 million metric tones of ore was exported from the state. Of the total export, seven million metric tonnes was by unclassified traders who were not the part of the association.

"It is pertinent to note that the quantity listed under unclassified merely lists the amount which has been exported by parties who do not register with the association," the association has said.

"Since the data listed under the unclassified header has been obtained from Mormugoa Port trust (MPT) and Panaji port and the association neither has the mandate nor the means to establish the source of the ore," it has clarified.

The recent media reports had claimed that ore exported by unclassified iron ore traders was ''illegal'' as there was no source of extraction mentioned when the consignment is sent abroad.

PTI