Building a Reliable Maritime Backbone for Pakistan’s Food Security

A Strategic Assessment of Operational, Structural & Regulatory Gaps: Pakistan’s edible oil and agribulk imports rely almost entirely on maritime logistics. With over 95% of national trade conducted via seaborne routes, the efficiency and resilience of ports, jetties, terminals, and cargo-handling systems play a pivotal role in shaping food security, landed costs, and national supply stability.

As of November 2025, edible oil imports have reached a record 3.5 million metric tons (MT), marking a 28% increase compared to the same period last year, which stood at 2.7 MT. This surge—equivalent to an additional 0.8 MT—underscores the growing pressure on maritime infrastructure to handle rising volumes efficiently.

Pakistan’s agribulk imports (exc Wheat) surged to 2.7 million MT by November 2025, up from 0.9 million MT in the same period last year—an increase of 1.8 million MT or 200%. This sharp rise is primarily driven by the reopening of GMO soybean seed imports and lower international commodity prices, which have incentivized higher procurement volumes.

In a global environment shaped by volatile freight markets, stricter compliance regimes, climate-driven weather events and geopolitical uncertainty, maritime risk management has evolved from an operational requirement into a strategic necessity. While universal risks apply worldwide, Pakistan’s edible-oil and grain supply chains face a distinct set of local operational, structural and governance challenges that significantly influence turnaround time, cargo integrity and competitiveness.

Ageing Jetties & Infrastructure Mismatch Many public jetties were built decades ago and have not kept pace with evolving vessel designs, larger parcel sizes or modern pumping and storage requirements.

Even newer berths face constraints relating to draft, dimensions and ship-shore compatibility. With edible oil and grain vessels often arriving in close succession, these gaps create extended waiting windows, heightened demurrage exposure and downstream disruptions for refiners, ginneries and mills.

Aligning berth infrastructure with today’s operational realities would materially improve discharge efficiency across the supply chain. Shortage of Deep-Draft Berths for Modern Vessels Draft limitations and narrow dispensation windows restrict LR1, LR2 and Panamax-class vessels from calling Pakistan. This drives higher freight costs, reduces economies of scale and prevents the country from benefiting from global freight efficiencies. Deeper, more flexible berths would generate immediate value for food-import-dependent industries.

Dependence on Private Terminals & Cost Variability

Private terminals are central to Pakistan’sagribulk logistics, yet their tariff structures,handling practices, storage capacities andprocedural norms vary widely. This leads toinconsistent vessel-handling performance,unpredictable cost outcomes, fluctuatingberthing line-ups and throughput inefficiencies. A more standardised operational baseline — while fully respecting commercial independence — would enhancevisibility, predictability and fairness acrossthe import ecosystem.

Cargo Integrity Risks & Post-Discharge Claims

Cargo variances in Pakistan’s edible oil andgrain imports are driven by inconsistentshore tank calibration, differing measurement practices, and weak regulatoryoversight. These gaps often result in disputeswhen vessel figures show surplus butshore-side records indicate shortages. Whileinitiatives like the Collective Action AgainstCorruption Practices in the MaritimeIndustry of Pakistan in 2021—led by GlobalCompact Network Pakistan andMACN—are commendable, stronger judicialawareness of stakeholder roles is essential.

Clear SOPs for maritime disputes, alignedwith international law, would provide fairrecourse to all parties and protect Pakistan’sglobal maritime reputation by reducingreliance on ad-hoc measures such as vesselattachments and detentions.

Withholding &PenalisationConcerns

Vessels are often penalized or withheld forreasons beyond their control—ranging fromregulatory sampling delays and shore-side throughput constraints to documentationbottlenecks and receiver-related financial holds. These operational inefficiencies are compoundedby commercial pressures in a tightly priced globalchartering market, where ship-owners workrelentlessly to secure profitable charters, especially in high-demand zones like Southeast Asia.

Delays at Pakistani ports not only frustrateship-owners but also trigger lay-time disputesand escalate freight costs. These addedexpenses ultimately cascade down the supplychain, inflating costs for importers and endconsumers alike. A more transparent andbalanced approach to disputeresolution—grounded in operational fairnessand commercial realism—would reduceship-shore friction and materially improve port productivity.

Reimagining Ports as Integrated Service Hubs

Pakistan’s ports must evolve from basic cargo interfaces into fully integrated service hubs that support both vessel operations and crew welfare. Operational constraints such as limited night navigation and tidal-restricted pilotage, even for lighter-draft vessels, continue to prolong port stays and complicate scheduling. These inefficiencies reduce overall throughput and reliability, especially as regional ports advance toward remote-controlled pilotage, electronic port registration and clearance, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and optimized anchorage zones supported by a full fleet of harbor-crafts, tugs, pilot boats, patrolboats and service barges.

Beyond navigational and scheduling challenges, Pakistan’s ports also fall short inproviding essential ship and crew services. At several private terminals, access to fresh water, garbage disposal, slop removal, minor repairs, and medical support remains inconsistent. Crew members of bulk carriers, often berthed for extended periods, are unable to use shore leave passes due to exacerbated security concerns. Furthermore, lack a harmonized framework for provisioning, crew welfare, and emergency medical facilitation often lead to inability of port stakeholders to render basic services to vessel’s crew members. The absence of well-maintained IMO-standard dry dock berths for essential repairs further hamper port’s revenue generation capability.

To remain competitive and compliant with international standards, Pakistan must invest in a uniform, predictable service ecosystem—one that treats ports not just as cargo nodes, but as strategic enablers of maritime continuity, safety, and global reputation.

Digitalisation & Transparency Gaps

Modern ports operate integrated digital platforms providing real-time visibility on berth availability, storage capacity, operational readiness and vessel line-ups. In Pakistan, much coordination remains manual or semi-manual, resulting in planning inefficiencies. Digitalisation would reduce uncertainty, improve transparency and support informed decision-making.

New Terminal Investments: A Positive Future Outlook Pakistan’s edible-oil and grain logistics stand to benefit from several high-value terminal developments backed by credible global partners. FWQ Liquid Cargo Terminal (LCT), developed with Malaysia’s FELDA, remains the country’s first dedicated edible-oil jetty. FAP Terminal at Port Qasimhas strengthened its position through investment by Cargill, enhancing automation and grain-handling capacity.

Most recently, the Karachi Gateway Terminal partnership between AD Ports Group and Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) signals renewed potential for Karachi Port’s agricultural logistics, with commitments to build modern clean-bulk handling and advanced storage infrastructure. Collectively, these developments offer meaningful prospects for improved handling capacity, efficiency and long-term supply-chain resilience.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026