KPT handles 52.49 million tons of cargo

Amount 5% higher year-on-year, export of urea also handled

KARACHI: The Karachi Port Trust (KPT), the country’s oldest seaport, handled a record high 52.49 million tons of cargo in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017.

This is 5% higher than 50.05 million tons in the previous fiscal year 2016.

“The cargo handling operations, including export and import at KPT, remained brisk in the financial year 2016-17 and the KPT broke its own record,” KPT said in a press statement on Wednesday.

The port, which has a long history of handling imported urea, loaded the commodity for export for the first time in contemporary times after supply gluts in local markets.

“The port recorded handling of export of urea this year apart from handling other import commodities like fertiliser and seeds,” KPT said in a statement.

The port usually imports edible oil, soybean seeds, petroleum products, pulses, coal, steel coils, cars and project cargo. And it usually exports the commodities including textile goods, cotton, cement and meat.

The port handles around 60% of the total import and export cargo of the country, it was learnt. Port Qasim and Gwadar are the other two seas ports of the country. The latter is yet to gear up full-fledge operations like the two others in the country.

The port handles cargo in containerised, bulk and liquid form.

Accordingly, it handled 2.11 million TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units - ie equivalent to 20 feet container box size) against 1.96 million TEUs during the same period of last year - showing a growth of 7.65% in the year.

It handled 37.17 million ton dry import and export cargo in the year, which was 7.46% higher than 34.59 million ton handled in the previous fiscal year.

The liquid bulk cargo of import and export has been closed at 15.32 million tons, the KPT reported.

Ship traffic

The ships’ traffic at the port has also improved during the financial year 2016-17. It witnessed arrival and departure of 758 container ships, 244 bulk cargo ships, 379 general cargo ships and 541 oil tankers.

In the previous fiscal year, the port anchored 738 container ships, 222 bulk cargo ships, 374 general cargo ships and 559 oil tankers.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2017.

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