Pakistani Ports Running Out of Space for New Containers

Pakistani port terminals are facing severe congestion due to 13,000 unclaimed and confiscated cargo containers. Out of these, some 5000 containers contain toxic materials which are harmful for the environment. This was disclosed by All Pakistan Customs Agents Association (APCAA) in a document presented to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). They demanded that FBR should make a decision in this regard. According to the document from APCAA, these containers have been piling up over the last 15 years. Karachi Port Trust and Port Bin Qasim are both operating at the maximum level, with 3 terminals working at full capacity. Collectively the terminals have a total capacity to store 122,000 TEU at a time, out of which 13,000 containers have occupied permanent place. This figure does not include the capacity at South Asia Pakistan Terminals Limited (SAPT) however. Read more...