This new port has been developed about 8 km south-west of the old Tuticorin port. The port has an artificial deep sea harbour which can receive vessels up to 8 m of draft at all times. It has 4 alongside berths with total quay age of 720 m one of which is an oil mooring berth. Two new berths are being developed for container terminal.
Tuticorin port has rich hinterland comprising the districts of Madurai, Kanniya kumari, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and southern part of Tiruchchirappally. It is well connected with railways and roads (NH 7A). Its principal exports are tea, cotton, cardamoms, cotton textiles, hides and skins and sienna leaves etc. Similarly main items of import are machinery, hardware, coal and fertilizers etc. During 1996-97 its total volume of cargo traffic was 9.17 million tones which is expected to rise to 16.24 million tons by 2002.