Karachi (Commerce Desk) Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has achieved significant improvement in performance during the financial year 2025-26, setting new records in cargo, container, and ship handling.
According to KPT’s annual report, a total of 55.44 million tons of cargo was handled through the port during the current financial year, which is 2.76 percent higher than 53.95 million tons recorded in the previous financial year. The increase was mainly driven by higher import activity, while exports witnessed a slight decline.
According to the report, imported cargo stood at 35.91 million tons in the financial year 2025-26, showing an increase of 5.82 percent compared to the previous year. The rise in imports was mainly due to a 66.8 percent increase in dry bulk cargo and a 4.99 percent rise in liquid bulk cargo.
On the other hand, export cargo declined from 20.01 million tons to 19.53 million tons, reflecting a decrease of 2.44 percent. The decline in exports was attributed to reduced shipments of dry general cargo; however, liquid bulk exports increased by 17.36 percent.
According to KPT, the gap between imports and exports has widened to 16.4 million tons, reflecting the country’s trade deficit.
The report stated that the container sector also achieved a new high, with 2.75 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of containers handled during the year, which is 3.67 percent higher than the previous year.
The number of imported containers increased by 4.28 percent to 1.422 million TEUs, while exported containers rose by 3.03 percent to 1.327 million TEUs.