Foreign shipping lines are imposing up to $800 freight charges on Pakistan-bound and outbound cargo
Some top container shipping firms have levied a Emergency Operational Recovery Surcharge (EORS) of $300–$800 per unit starting May 15 to all shipments to and from Pakistan, including trade with Europe, the Mediterranean, the US, Africa, and Asia.
For the US, Latin America, and Australia, the EORS remains effective until June 6.
For sea freight, carriers have started rerouting cargo via Colombo and Salalah. CMA CGM has implemented an emergency surcharge of USD 800 per container on shipments to Europe, the US East Coast, Africa, and the Middle East, including import lanes. Other carriers may follow suit due to the additional costs associated with feeder operations.
The Pakistan Ship’s Agents Association (PSAA) said the new Indian restrictions are aimed at discouraging port calls to Pakistan. The PSAA confirmed foreign lines are recalibrating routes to maintain service. Despite these developments, Karachi Port Trust has so far reported normal operations with no congestion.
Separately, Pakistan has allowed cargo ships carrying Indian goods to dock at its ports. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs issued an order on May 3 banning Indian flag carriers and restricting Pakistani ships from calling at Indian ports. However, these restrictions do not apply to Reshipment on Board (RoB) cargo. Transit shipments with Indian-origin goods passing through Pakistani ports are exempt.
India last week banned the import and transit of all Pakistani goods, disrupting an estimated 6,000-7,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of weekly exports from Karachi.
