Citing congestion and delays, DHL defers picking India-bound shipments from China, Hong Kong for 10 days

Therefore, to ensure shipments originating from other countries are not affected by this congestion, DHL Express has decided to temporarily suspend picking up new shipments from China and Hong Kong and Macau.

The company said that it was monitoring the situation closely.

The delays could create more problems for various Indian sectors including the auto industry which is preparing to ramp-up production and is relying on timely availability of spare parts.

The Auto Components Manufacturers Association (ACMA) told CNBC-TV18, "There's no challenge immediately as the industry keeps a buffer of stocks but if the situation is prolonged it will hamper production."

CNBC-TV18 has learnt from sources that import shipments originating from China and Hong Kong have been held back at major Indian seaport and airports since Monday. Customs authorities in Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad have ordered these consignments to undergo a "100 percent examination" at the item-level, leading to significant delays. Even those shipments which have been given an Out of Charge (OOC) order are being held back at ports and container freight stations.

Authorities have instructed staff at ports to "open and de-stuff all container cargo and examine 100 percent (all packages) at the item level. Verify declared quantity, description, address, other notification claimed valuation, and check for concealment," according to information accessed by CNBC-TV18.

While there is no official reason being cited for the actions, customs officials are acting on intelligence inputs after drugs, suspected to have originated from China were confiscated by Tamil Nadu police in two separate incidents.