KARACHI: Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced sweeping tariff reductions at Gwadar Port on Monday, as another transshipment vessel arrived at the port amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz passageway due to the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran.
Iran has maintained a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz since February, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass, when the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Tehran. Pakistan has seen a surge in its port activity over the weeks, as vessels divert from Gulf transshipment hubs and head to the South Asian country.
The deep-sea port in southwestern Gwadar city received its second transshipment vessel of the month on Monday morning. MV Yuan Hang Wei Ye berthed at Gwadar Port, carrying approximately 34,000 tons of cargo comprising around 20,000 pieces, the maritime affairs ministry said in a statement. The ministry announced that the vessel is engaged in transshipment operations and carrying consignments destined for Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, which will be offloaded at Gwadar.
“Under the revised tariff structure, berthing fees for container vessels and ships carrying transit or transshipment cargo have been reduced by 25 percent,” the maritime affairs ministry.
“Charges on international transshipment container cargo have been slashed by 40 percent, while transit container cargo charges have been cut by 31 percent.”
The ministry announced that the port will also provide one month of free storage for general cargo, as compared to the standard five-day allowance that is granted at other Pakistani ports. It added that the move was intended to improve the efficiency of cargo handling at Gwadar Port.
“These incentives take effect immediately, and further adjustments will be reviewed in phases based on operational data and market response,” the minister said, noting that future revisions would be guided by cargo trends, regional competition, and sustainability considerations.
Chaudhry said the government’s measures were part of a broader strategy to transform Gwadar into a competitive, investor-friendly and modern deep-sea port serving as a strategic gateway for trade with Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and beyond.
He said Gwadar is well placed to capture a larger share of regional trade flows amid rising demand for low-cost and congestion-free shipping routes.
“The revised tariff regime is expected to reduce operational costs for shipping lines, encourage new transshipment and feeder services, and increase cargo throughput,” the ministry added.
