Port activity rises at Karachi, Port Qasim as Middle East conflict disrupts shipping routes

Activity at Karachi Port and Port Qasim has increased as shipping routes across the Middle East face disruption due to the ongoing regional conflict, with fuel cargoes arriving through alternative sea routes and transshipment volumes rising.

Port Qasim Authority said multiple vessels carrying gasoline, gas oil and liquefied petroleum gas are currently being handled at its terminals to maintain fuel supplies for domestic consumption.

Shipping data shows the tanker MT Nave Atropos is discharging about 53,139 metric tons of gasoline at the FOTCO oil terminal after sailing through the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, avoiding the Strait of Hormuz.

Two additional tankers, MT Spruce 2 and MT Sea Clipper, are waiting at the outer anchorage of Port Qasim for berthing. Spruce 2 is carrying about 55,101 metric tons of gas oil, while Sea Clipper holds roughly 40,229 metric tons of motor gasoline.

In the LPG segment, the vessel Navigator Atlantic is unloading 12,024 metric tons of LPG mix at the EVTL terminal after departing from the Port of Salalah in Oman and travelling across the Arabian Sea.

Another LPG carrier, Navigator Aries, is discharging 11,196 metric tons at the SSGC terminal. The vessel departed in late February and crossed the Strait of Hormuz before shipping disruptions intensified, arriving at Port Qasim on March 4.

A third LPG vessel, Ullswater, carrying about 3,530 metric tons of LPG mix, has been waiting at the outer anchorage since March 5 due to terminal congestion. The ship sailed from Khor al Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates through the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.

At Karachi Port, authorities reported increased transshipment cargo handling as shipping lines reroute operations away from disrupted Middle Eastern corridors.

Two transshipment vessels recently berthed simultaneously at the port. The vessel CGLA Ocean Breeze 1 docked at the Karachi International Container Terminal, while GFS Jade berthed at Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited. Both vessels are discharging containers destined for ports across the Middle East.

Port officials said the development reflects a rise in transshipment cargo being handled in Karachi as regional shipping patterns adjust.

Separately, Karachi Port Trust announced the launch of a dedicated feeder service linking Karachi Gateway Terminal with the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan.

The first vessel under the service arrived at the terminal on March 11, establishing a regular connection between Karachi and the UAE transshipment hubs. Authorities said the service is intended to support cargo connectivity for Pakistani importers and exporters and maintain access to global shipping networks.