A nationwide transporters’ strike has brought Pakistan’s major container terminals, which collectively handle over 6,300 20-foot equivalent units of import and export cargo daily, to a complete standstill, pushing national trade toward paralysis and inflicting what business leaders describe as severe and potentially irreparable economic damage.
Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, patron-in-chief and former chairman of the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association and former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the halt in port and transport operations amounts to “economic sabotage.” In a statement, he warned that exports and imports are on the brink of closure due to the disruptions to the entire supply chain.
He said exporters are facing colossal financial losses and a sharp depletion of foreign exchange because of the unavailability of transport and containers for shipments to global markets. With each passing day, he warned, exporters are being forced to consider costly and risky air freight to meet delivery deadlines.
He also warned that continued government inaction could cause irreversible harm to the economy, noting port operations had ground to a halt, leaving thousands of import and export containers stranded at terminals while hundreds of containers already loaded on vessels remain at sea, awaiting berthing space.
Bilwani said Pakistan’s average daily exports are valued at $92 million, with monthly exports of about $2.85 billion, all now under serious threat. He added that the textile sector alone contributes $52 million in daily exports and approximately $1.62 billion per month, making it particularly vulnerable to prolonged disruption. He said the supply chain breakdown has severely affected manufacturing and agriculture by interrupting raw material supplies and the movement of finished goods. Export-oriented factories risk halted production, missed vessels, mounting demurrage and detention charges, greater reliance on expensive air freight, and possible cancellation of confirmed export orders, he said.
Bilwani appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately intervention and end the strike in the national interest, saying Pakistan’s logistics and transport system has “virtually come to a standstill,” worsening stress on an already fragile economy. He also expressed concern over the complete paralysis of inbound and outbound cargo movement, with export consignments stuck at factories and warehouses, and import containers stranded at port terminals under the control of terminal operators and foreign shipping lines.
According to Bilwani, operations have halted at all major ports, including South Asia Pakistan Terminal (SAPT), Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT), Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT), and Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited (KGTL). He noted SAPT normally handles about 2,700 units daily, or roughly 82,000 units per month. QICT handles around 1,650 units per day, or 45,000 monthly, while KGTL processes about 800 units daily, totaling 25,000 per month. Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) typically handles about 1,160 units per day, or nearly 34,800 per month.
Bilwani warned that vessels are increasingly departing without loading export containers, creating severe difficulties for exporters seeking space on upcoming ships. Even after normal operations resume, he said, clearing the backlog of cargo could take several months. He said prolonged shipment delays risk missed deadlines, canceled orders and the permanent loss of international buyers, undermining Pakistan’s credibility as a reliable trading partner at a time when foreign exchange earnings are critical.
On the import side, Bilwani said stalled container movement has choked supply chains, delayed production and plunged industries into operational chaos. He questioned who would bear escalating demurrage and detention charges imposed by port authorities and foreign shipping lines, noting that payments in U.S. dollars would further drain Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves and worsen the balance-of-payments position.
Bilwani also highlighted the impact on agriculture, saying fruit and vegetable exports reliant on refrigerated containers and timely transport are perishing. Fresh produce is rotting, consignments are being rejected abroad, and exporters are suffering heavy losses, he said, warning of long-term damage to Pakistan’s reputation and potential threats to food security.
Expressing alarm at what he described as a lack of serious response from federal and provincial authorities, Bilwani said poor coordination and delayed decision-making are pushing businesses toward collapse, layoffs and long-term damage to the formal economy.
He urged the prime minister to immediately bring transporters and stakeholders to the negotiating table, seek relief from what he termed unjustified demurrage and detention charges, and ensure swift clearance of the mounting cargo backlog, warning that failure to act promptly would amount to “nothing less than complete economic sabotage.”
Atif Ikram Sheikh, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), meanwhile said the transport strike was having serious negative consequences.
The strike has also begun disrupting the supply of essential medicines across the country. Several cities and towns have reported shortages, as pharmaceutical products from major manufacturing hubs fail to reach pharmacies, medical stores and healthcare facilities.
Failed talks
Separately, transporters have said talks are ongoing with representatives of the federal and Punjab governments and relevant departments, including the ministries of ports and shipping and communications, the motorway police, the National Highway Authority (NHA) and senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Customs. They claimed the federal and Punjab governments had both acknowledged their demands were justified.
The Transporters’ Goods Association also told a Sindh government committee that the shutdown would remain in place until issues raised in its charter of demands—designated parking for goods carriers near KPT, and matters related to licensing and the plying of 25-30-year-old vehicles—were addressed.