Karachi port handles record 54.7m tonnes of cargo in FY26 as Iran war worsens

The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) carried the biggest volume of cargo in its 138-year-old history this fiscal year, official media said Sunday, as the US-Iran war in the Middle East rerouted many ships towards Pakistan.

Pakistan’s port activity saw a boost after the US-Iran war started in February this year as several vessels changed their course from Gulf transshipment hubs towards KPT, Port Qasim and Gwadar ports in Pakistan.

The KPT handled more than 54.685 million metric tonnes of cargo during the current fiscal year, exceeding its previous best performance set in 2017-18, PID added.

“KPT had broken the all-time cargo handling record of 54.685 million tonnes in the current financial year,” the PID cited Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry as saying.

The PID said the minister attributed the success to improved operational efficiencies, effective management and enhanced port capacity.

The government continued to modernise the ports, increase their capacity, develop logistical infrastructure and provide amenities in accordance with international standards, the PID said, quoting Chaudhry.

Karachi Port, the main seaport of Pakistan, accounts for a considerable share of the country’s sea traffic. Container volumes are a key measure of commercial activity and port performance and the government has been investing in infrastructure enhancements to put Pakistan on the map as a regional logistics and transshipment hub.

This latest milestone comes a week after the KPT reported it set a new record for container throughput by handling more than 2.651 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the current fiscal year.