Islamabad (Commerce Desk) Due to ongoing tensions in the Gulf and disruptions in sea routes, trade activity at Pakistan’s ports has increased rapidly.
According to Arab News, Hutchison Ports Pakistan stated that new cargo is arriving in Pakistan via different vessels, with two ships already docked at the port while a third vessel is expected to arrive in the first week of June.
According to foreign media reports, 4,000 new transshipment cargo units will be handled at the Hutchison Ports terminal in Karachi, after which the total will exceed 14,300 by March 2026. Due to disruptions in the Gulf region, international shipping companies are increasingly preferring Pakistan’s ports as alternative routes.
Maritime authorities said that due to the effects of the Gulf crisis, not only Karachi but also Gwadar Port has seen a significant increase in activity, where trade volume has risen from 20 percent to 30 percent.
Officials said that in order to make Gwadar Port more attractive, various fees have been reduced, including a 25 percent cut in berthing fees, a 40 percent reduction in international transshipment cargo charges, and a 31 percent reduction in transit cargo charges.
According to officials, due to CPEC 2.0, regional trade corridors, and new investments, Gwadar Port is expected to gain further regional importance.
Experts say that the rising activity at Karachi and Gwadar ports indicates that Pakistan is emerging as an important logistics and transshipment hub in the region, while the country’s geographical location is turning Karachi, Port Qasim, and Gwadar into key regional trade centers.