Logistics services in Pakistan.

Pakistan logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Pakistan handles ocean, air, rail and road freight for both imports and exports. Containers move mainly through the seaports of Gwadar, Karachi and Muhammad Bin Qasim, together handling about 3.3 million TEU in 2024. These ports connect to a coastline of about 1,046 km and to global liner networks with a liner shipping connectivity index of 34.11 in 2021.

Air freight uses 19 airports with scheduled services, including major gateways at Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. The country has about 11,881 km of railway and borders Afghanistan, China, India and Iran, so cross-border road and rail moves can link seaborne cargo with inland markets and neighbors. Oil terminals and a merchant fleet of about 60 vessels, including bulk carriers and oil tankers, support energy and bulk commodity flows.

When selecting freight forwarders in Pakistan, shippers should look at their experience with Karachi, Gwadar and Muhammad Bin Qasim, as these are the key container ports. Pakistan’s overall logistics performance index score was 2.42 in 2018, with customs at 2.12 and infrastructure at 2.2, below world medians, so local expertise in dealing with customs and infrastructure constraints is important.

Forwarders should understand Pakistan’s main export goods such as garments, refined petroleum and rice, and key destinations like the USA, UAE, China, Germany and the UK. On the import side, familiarity with flows from China, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia matters. Membership in the WTO and blocs such as ASEAN and SAARC shapes trade procedures, so a customs broker or forwarder who actively works with these agreements can help plan routings. Coordination with shipping lines that have offices in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Port Qasim is also relevant to get space and schedules.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Pakistan moves mainly through Karachi, Gwadar and Muhammad Bin Qasim. These ports together handled about 3.3 million TEU in 2024. Liner connectivity stood at 34.11 in 2021, placing the country 52 of 169 worldwide and 11 of 21 in its region. Major shipping lines with offices here include MSC, OOCL, CMA CGM, Maersk, Wan Hai Lines, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, PIL, X-Press Feeders and ANL.

Observed FCL rates for a 20ST from Karachi on 31 October 2026 were about 4,600 USD to Hamburg, 5,300 USD to Barcelona, 3,100 USD to Mombasa, 5,600 USD to Genova and 4,200 USD to Antwerpen. Short sea routes connect Karachi with Nhava Sheva at 991 km, Jebel Ali at 1,376 km and Salalah at 1,759 km.

Pakistan recorded about 309 million tonne-km of air cargo in 2023. Scheduled air services operate from 19 airports, with the main international gateways at Islamabad International Airport, Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar and Faisalabad International Airport.

Air freight is particularly relevant for higher-value exports like garments and fabric, and for time-sensitive imports such as certain plastics or components. These airports connect major production centers and population hubs, supporting both direct international flights and connections via regional hubs.

Pakistan has a railway network of about 11,881 km, supported by rail-connected ports such as Karachi. In 2018 rail freight volume was about 8,080 million tonne-km, showing that rail is a significant mode for moving bulk commodities and containers between ports and inland locations.

On the road side, Pakistan borders Afghanistan, China, India and Iran, with frontier lengths ranging from 438 km with China to 3,190 km with India. These road corridors connect seaports like Karachi and Gwadar with neighboring markets and with inland regions, complementing rail and sea transport for regional trade.

Pakistan is a member of the World Trade Organization and has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 16 November 1955. It participates in regional blocs such as ASEAN and SAARC. The simple average applied tariff was about 7.61 percent in 2022. For documentation, shippers should expect to provide at least a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document.

In the 2018 logistics performance index, Pakistan’s customs score was 2.12 compared with a world median of 2.6. Overall LPI was 2.42 against a median of 2.7, and tracking and tracing, infrastructure and timeliness also trailed world medians. Export border and documentary compliance took about 4 days on average, while imports took about 8 days. Careful planning with a customs broker or freight forwarder can help manage these lead times, especially for shipments aligned with main export and import partners.