Carriers impose 'emergency operation' surcharges on Pakistan cargo
Pakistan trade, hit by Indian port access restrictions, now faces a wave of emergency surcharges from container lines.
The latest moves come from MSC — a hefty $800 per container fee for all Pakistan exports on major westbound routes, which include Europe, the US and Africa markets.
The carrier has also announced an extra $300 per container charge for intra-regional trades, including the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.
The levies are set to begin on 19 May for all trades except to the US, which will start on 11 June, due to FMC filing requirements.
“In order to maintain the continuity, safety and reliability of its services in Pakistan due to the ongoing geopolitical challenges, MSC announces the implementation of an emergency operation surcharge applicable to all shipments (exports and imports) from Pakistan,” the carrier said.
Several carriers have already announced or implemented similar charges on Pakistan bookings following the diplomatic/trade ‘tit for tat’ cutoff with India.
However, the port embargo imposed by both sides has opened a lucrative opportunity for feeder operators, as mainliners are forced to reroute Pakistan cargo to hub ports such as Sri Lanka’s Colombo and Salalah and Jebel Ali in the Middle East.
Hapag-Lloyd has announced the launch of a second, dedicated feeder capacity option for Pakistan transhipment cargo, as industry sources do not expect the regional trade deadlock to settle any time soon.
The new Sophia Express will run on a rotation of Salalah-Port Qasim-Karachi-Salalah, and complements Hapag-Lloyd’s Pakistan Shuttle service (PKS) between Hutchison Port Holdings’ South Asia Pakistan Terminal (SAPT) in Karachi and Salalah.
“In response to the current trade and operational restrictions, we are adjusting our service network to ensure seamless connectivity for cargo flows to/from Pakistan,” the carrier said. “This solution will enable smooth movement of cargo across our global network, with seamless connections through Salalah – a key hub in our Gemini Cooperation.”
The move follows the German carrier’s announcement of a contingency surcharge of $500 per container for Pakistan cargo moving to Europe from mid-May.
Hapag-Lloyd had regular weekly calls at ports in Pakistan on its TPI service connecting the Indian subcontinent to the US east coast, as well as on a regional string between India/Pakistan and the Gulf, called the IG1, according to available data.
