Pakistan has restored direct shipping connectivity between Karachi and major European ports, offering exporters an alternative to longer shipping routes and rising freight costs caused by international shipping disruptions.
Federal Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Thursday that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) had reinstated its PREMIUM IPAK service in response to exporters’ demand for a dedicated shipping link with Europe.
Under the restored service, MSC will make weekly calls at Karachi Gateway Terminal International (KGTI), connecting Karachi to major European destinations, including Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Le Havre and London Gateway via Colombo.
Chaudhry said the service would improve shipping options for export oriented industries, particularly textiles, which have faced longer transit times and higher logistics costs because of disruptions to international shipping routes, including those linked to the Red Sea.
The minister said textile exporters had raised concerns that longer vessel journeys were increasing transportation costs and delivery times for shipments to European and US markets, affecting the competitiveness of Pakistani exports.
He said the restored service would give exporters more options for planning and transporting shipments but cautioned that it would not resolve the wider challenges affecting international shipping routes.
Separately, Karachi Port Trust Chairman proposed standardized electronic delivery orders around the clock, risk based inspections, nonintrusive scanning, joint inspections and common sampling to speed up cargo clearance.
At a meeting of the Working Group on Shipping Connectivity and Optimization at the KPT head office, participants discussed removing physical and regulatory bottlenecks to make cargo clearance faster and more predictable. Terminal operators expressed readiness to conduct inspections at night, while Pakistan Customs was asked to facilitate round the clock operations.
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