PCDMA urges govt to improve port, transport infrastructure

KARACHI: Pakistan Chemicals & Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) Chairman Salim Valimuhammad has said that the Karachi Port is witnessing an unprecedented increase in transshipment activity, describing the development as a significant opportunity for our trade and logistics sector.

He said disruptions in shipping operations in Dubai, coupled with ongoing regional tensions, had led several international shipping lines to divert cargo traffic towards Pakistan. As a result, he said, the Karachi Port handled 8,313 containers in just the first 24 days of March 2026. This is right figure, a figure equivalent to the total number of containers processed during the whole of 2025, he said.

Valimuhammad said cargo movement at the Port Qasim has also increased, indicating growing confidence among global shipping operators in Pakistan’s port facilities. He described the current situation as a golden opportunity for Pakistan to position itself as a permanent transshipment hub in the region, provided timely and practical measures were taken.

He urged the government to move swiftly to improve port and transport infrastructure, rationalise port-related charges and levies, and introduce research-based policy reforms to support the logistics and shipping sector.

PCDMA chief said closer coordination between the public and private sectors would be essential to convert the present momentum into long-term gains.

Salim Valimuhammad added that if the necessary facilitation was provided, the current rise in transshipment activity could not only improve the flow of imports and exports but also contribute positively to broader economic activity.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026