Karachi Port Trust breaks all old records in fiscal year 2025-26
Published 1 hour ago | By Editorial Desk
Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has broken all previous records in cargo, container and ship handling during the fiscal year 2025-26, bringing significant improvement in its performance, and data in this regard has been released.
According to the annual report issued by KPT, a total of 55.44 million tons of cargo passed through the port during the current fiscal year, which is 2.76 percent more than the 53.95 million tons of the previous fiscal year. The main reason for this increase was a significant increase in imports, while there was some decrease in exports.
The report stated that imports in the fiscal year 2025-26 were 35.91 million tons, which is 5.82 percent more than the previous year. The main reason for this increase in imports was an increase of 66.8 percent in dry bulk cargo and 4.99 percent in liquid bulk cargo.
On the other hand, exports decreased from 20.01 million tons to 19.53 million tons, which shows a decrease of 2.44 percent. The main reason for the decrease in exports is the decrease in dry general cargo shipments, however, a 17.36 percent increase was recorded in liquid bulk exports.
It was further informed that the overall difference between imports and exports has increased to 16.4 million tons, which indicates a trade deficit in the country.
According to KPT, a new record was also created in the container sector and 2.75 million TEUs of containers were handled this year, which is 3.67 percent more than last year. Import containers increased by 4.28 percent to 1.422 million TEUs and export containers increased by 3.03 percent to 1.327 million TEUs.
The report said that South Asia Pakistan Terminal Limited was the leader in container terminals with a share of 59.6 percent, Karachi International Container Terminal with a share of 24.7 percent and Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited with a share of 15.5 percent. All three private terminals showed positive growth compared to the previous year.
KPT said that a 7.36 percent increase was also seen in the arrival of ships at the port. During the financial year 2025-26, a total of 2,115 ships arrived at KPT, while last year this number was 1,970. The arrival of oil tankers increased by 12.83 percent and the arrival of bulk carriers by 12.96 percent, which clearly reflects the increase in liquid and dry bulk cargo. The arrival of container ships also increased by 4.57 percent to 1,145.
The report stated that overall, the fiscal year 2025-26 was a successful year for the Karachi Port Trust, with a record 55.44 million tons of cargo handled, with energy and bulk cargo playing a key role in the overall growth.
