Suspension of vessel operation hits export sector hard: FPCCI

KARACHI: Pakistan’s export sector is facing severe disruption as shipping lines have halted vessel movements to the Middle East, leaving hundreds of export containers stranded at local ports, senior business leaders warned on Saturday.

Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, Senior Vice President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and Chairman of the BMP-Progressive (BMPP) said the sudden suspension of vessel operations had brought export logistics to a standstill, putting exporters at risk of substantial financial losses.

He said exporters had already moved their consignments to the ports in line with shipment schedules, but with vessels no longer calling, terminal operators were now asking exporters to retrieve their containers. “Bringing containers back to the factories and then returning them to the port later would result in massive additional costs, which many exporters simply cannot absorb,” he said.

Magoon urged the government to immediately announce a minimum 30-day special relief window at all ports and to fully waive demurrage and detention charges in view of the extraordinary situation. Such measures, he said, were essential to prevent exporters from suffering crippling losses.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026