Pakistan reduces Gwadar Port charges to encourage maritime trade The federal government has announced a significant reduction in Gwadar Port tariffs in a bid to promote maritime trade and attract international transit traffic.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said berthing charges for container vessels at Gwadar Port have been reduced by 25 percent, while port charges for international transshipment containers have been cut by 40 percent. Charges on transit container cargo have also been lowered by up to 31 percent to encourage greater use of the port by global shipping companies.
As part of the incentives package, the government has also introduced one month of free storage for general cargo at Gwadar Port, compared to the five-day free storage period available at other ports across the country.
The maritime affairs minister said the measures are aimed at positioning Gwadar as a modern and competitive deep-sea port serving Central Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. He added that the revised tariff structure has come into effect immediately and may be adjusted further depending on market response and regional competition.
Gwadar Port Authority Chairman Noorul Haq Baloch welcomed the move, saying the new incentives would attract both local and foreign investors and help create employment opportunities in the region.
He noted that Gwadar Port’s strategic importance has increased amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, as the port offers a shorter and safer trade route to Iran and Central Asia. He also highlighted the arrival of four major transshipment vessels at Gwadar Port in April as evidence of the port’s growing role as an alternative regional trade corridor.