KARACHI, Aug 16: A long delay in arrival of ships at country’s ports is disturbing export trade because a number of consignments are not catching up with their delivery time agreed upon with foreign buyers.

Shipping lines calling at the Karachi Port and Port Qasim have informed exporters that ships arrival schedule has been disturbed owing to heavy congestions at the last port of call.

According to exporters ships are late by seven to 10 days from their original schedules and this was risking their export trade because the timeframe agreed upon with the buyers is not being met.

While giving an explanation for delay in ships arrivals a shipping company informed its clients (exporters) that because of the on-going congestion at Jebel Ali Port waiting period has increased manifold and this was disturbing their call time at the next port.

It is reported that presently over 60 ships are at the outer anchorage of Jebel Ali Port, waiting for their berthing turn. Similar situation is reported to be at the Salalah Port where most of trans-shipment cargo lands.

Since the Karachi Port and Port Qasim could not handle mother ships or post-Panamax class vessels most of the country’s cargo first lands at Jebel Ali and Salalah Port from where small feeder vessels carry it to Pakistan.

However, exporters feel that if no immediate measures are taken they may lose their foreign markets where tough competition has already pushed their backs to the wall. This is even more damaging to country’s foreign exchange reserves, which are already depleting fast and if export proceeds are delayed the reserves would further come under pressure.

Former director general Ports and Shipping Capt Anwar Shah said if the country could not immediately improve the capacity of the Karachi Port and Port Qasim for handling large vessels then the Gwadar Port should be used.

The port is yet to become operational as a trans-shipment port for which it was originally designed.

He further said that instead of allowing Pakistani cargo to land at Jebel Ali or Salalah Port it would be better that the entire cargo was brought to the Gwadar Port from where a feeder vessel could bring it to Port Qasim and the Karachi Port.

This will immensely help to reduce the cost of external trade and will also enable the country to use its deep-sea port – Gwadar – for trans-shipment trade.