'Shipping delays are causing national trade emergency'

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has raised alarm over the deteriorating performance of international shipping lines, warning that prolonged delays could cause massive losses to Pakistani exporters.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the LCCI Executive Committee, led by President Mian Abuzar, Senior Vice President Engineer Khalid Usman and Vice President Shahid Nazir Chaudhry, said exporters are suffering due to unreliable commitments from shipping companies. EC Member Syed Salman Ali highlighted what he termed "unsustainable practices," pointing to major discrepancies between promised and actual delivery times. He said shipping lines commit to 15-18 days for key destinations like Jeddah and 35-38 days for North African ports. But once the shipments are dispatched, these timelines are "arbitrarily extended by 10 to 25 days without prior notice or explanation".

"This unpredictability is crippling for exporters working under strict buyer deadlines," the statement read. The committee warned that beyond immediate financial losses, the most damaging impact is the erosion of Pakistan's reliability as a trading partner.

Overseas buyers, frustrated by missed schedules, are increasingly shifting orders to India, Bangladesh and Vietnam, which offer more predictable logistics. LCCI members said exporters are also trapped in severe cash flow problems. Payments remain blocked until goods are received, tying up capital and making it harder to finance new orders or raw material purchases.

The problem is compounded by the State Bank's 45-day limit for realisation of export proceeds. Exporters said meeting this deadline is impossible when shipments are stuck at sea or at transshipment ports.