KARACHI: Pakistan has handled its first fully transshipment cargo vessel carrying general cargo, break bulk and vehicles, in a development maritime authorities say could expand the country’s role in regional trade.
The vessel, MV ERLIN, berthed at the Karachi Gateway Terminal Multipurpose Limited (KGTML) at Karachi Port Trust (KPT), marking what officials described as a shift beyond container-only transshipment operations.
In a statement on Friday, Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the move reflects recent changes aimed at improving port efficiency and broadening cargo handling capacity.
Karachi Port had previously been limited to container transshipment, but is now equipped to handle a wider range of cargo types, including break bulk and vehicles for onward movement to regional destinations, the statement added.
The development could support Pakistan’s efforts to position its ports as transit and transshipment hubs linking regional and international trade routes, particularly as competition intensifies among ports in the Gulf and South Asia.
