Karachi Port handled 19.286 million tonnes of cargo between July and October 2026, lifting throughput 3.8 per cent as shipping lines rerouted vessels away from Middle East disruptions.

Total ship calls climbed 13.7 per cent to 764 vessels during the four-month window, up from 672 calls a year earlier.

Export cargo rose 10.5 per cent, while dry bulk volumes jumped 26.1 per cent across the same period. The gains follow fiscal year 2025-26, when terminal operators processed an all-time peak of 55.438 million tonnes, handled 2.749 million 20-foot equivalent units and berthed more than 2,100 vessels.

Commercial incentives drove the shift. Federal authorities rolled out a unified transshipment framework in August 2026 that lowered wet cargo vessel tariffs by 20 to 80 per cent and gave shippers 14 days of free terminal storage at Karachi Port Trust facilities.

Port Qasim Authority waived wharfage completely and expanded free storage to between 7 and 21 days. Terminal concessions followed quickly.

Four private container handlers, Karachi International Container Terminal, South Asia Pakistan Terminal, Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited and Qasim International Container Terminal, reduced terminal handling charges by up to 25 per cent.

Customs agencies also opened the gates to off-dock transshipment, sea-to-air cargo transfers, around-the-clock physical checks and pre-arrival paperwork to clear quayside bottlenecks.

Global carriers responded by adding direct tonnage. Mediterranean Shipping Company opened a weekly direct European loop called Premium IPAK through Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited in October 2026.

A dedicated feeder run connects Karachi directly to Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.

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