KARACHI: The government has reduced a range of tariff charges at Gwadar Port, including berthing and container handling fees, as the government seeks to attract greater transit and transshipment traffic and position the port as a regional logistics hub.
Maritime Affairs Minister Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said on Monday that berthing fees for container vessels and ships carrying transit or transshipment cargo had been reduced by 25 per cent, while charges on international transshipment container cargo and transit container cargo had been cut by 40 per cent and 31 per cent respectively.
The revised tariff structure took effect immediately, according to a statement issued by the maritime affairs ministry.Gwadar Port will also offer one month of free storage for general cargo, compared with the five-day allowance typically available at other Pakistani ports, the minister said.
The government plans to review additional tariff adjustments in phases based on operational performance, cargo trends and regional competition, Chaudhry said.Pakistan has been seeking to expand Gwadar’s role in regional trade as it looks to capitalise on shipping and transit links connecting Central Asia, the Middle East and East Africa. The deep-sea port, developed with Chinese support under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, has faced challenges in attracting sustained commercial traffic and private investment in recent years.
Chaudhry said the lower tariffs were aimed at reducing operational costs for shipping lines, encouraging new feeder and transshipment services, and increasing cargo throughput at the port.
Chairperson of Gwadar Port Noorul Haq Baloch said the revised tariff regime could support economic activity and employment generation in Balochistan by attracting local and foreign investors, according to a separate statement.
