KARACHI: Pakistan has begun construction of a new container ship for its state-owned shipping line as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s maritime sector and reduce dependence on foreign carriers for trade transport, the maritime affairs ministry said on Tuesday.
The steel-cutting ceremony for the vessel was held at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, Pakistan’s state-run shipbuilder, where Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry inaugurated the project, according to an official statement.
The ship, with a capacity of 1,100 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) — the standard measure used to describe container cargo capacity — is being built for the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), the country’s national flag carrier for sea trade.
“Nearly 95 percent of Pakistan’s trade volume is transported by sea, making a strong maritime sector essential for economic stability and growth,” the ministry said, quoting the minister as saying the project was a strategic milestone for the shipping industry.
Pakistan relies heavily on foreign shipping lines to move imports and exports, a dependence that contributes to high freight costs and foreign exchange outflows, particularly during periods of global supply chain disruption.
