Karachi Port, one of Pakistan’s busiest and most vital ports, successfully handled 41.85 million tons of import and export cargo and 1.93 million TEUs (twenty feet equivalent unit) containers during the fiscal year 2022-23.
This represents a decrease compared to the previous fiscal year 2021-22, during which the port handled 51.71 million tons of cargo and 2.21 million TEUs containers.
According to a press release issued on Wednesday July 5, 2023, the breakdown of cargo types reveals that dry cargo, including both imports and exports, accounted for 30.63 million tons. Meanwhile, liquid bulk cargo, encompassing imports and exports, amounted to 11.22 million tons by the end of the financial year 2022-23. This is a decline from the 36.64 million tons of dry cargo and 15.07 million tons of liquid bulk cargo recorded during the previous financial year.
Import cargo figures for the financial year 2022-23 stood at 29.08 million tons, in contrast to the 35.54 million tons in the fiscal year 2021-22. Liquid bulk cargo imports accounted for 10.29 million tons during the 2022-23 financial year, down from the 14.07 million tons handled in the preceding year. Export cargo amounted to 12.78 million tons during the 2022-23 fiscal year, compared to 16.17 million tons in the previous year.
In terms of container handling, the Karachi Port managed 1.93 million TEUs containers for import and export purposes, including all private container terminals, in the financial year 2022-23. This represents a decrease from the 2.21 million TEUs recorded in the fiscal year 2021-22. The number of import containers stood at 0.97 million TEUs, as did the number of export containers during the 2022-23 fiscal year. These figures indicate a decline from the 1.10 million TEUs of import containers and 1.11 million TEUs of export containers recorded a year ago.
Despite the decrease in cargo and container volumes, the Karachi Port remains a crucial hub for trade and commerce in Pakistan. Efforts are ongoing to enhance operations and maintain the port’s efficiency in facilitating the import and export activities that drive the country’s economy.
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