Karachi Port Trust (KPT) operates Pakistan's primary container port — handling around 60% of national external trade through KICT, PICT and SAPT terminals on the Arabian Sea.
Karachi Port Trust (KPT) is the autonomous statutory body administering the Karachi Port, Pakistan's oldest and largest seaport, located on the Arabian Sea at the southern tip of Sindh province. Established in 1887, KPT operates a natural deep-water harbour with 33 dry-cargo, liquid-cargo and container berths spanning roughly 11 km of quay length.
Major KPT container terminals include: Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) — operated by Hutchison Ports, the legacy main container facility; Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) — operated by Hutchison Ports as a separate facility; South Asia Pakistan Terminals (SAPT) — Hutchison Ports' deep-water terminal on the eastern wharves, handling the largest container vessels.
Karachi Port handles roughly 60% of Pakistan's external trade by tonnage and is the first-choice export terminal for spices, herbs, seeds, salts, textiles, rice, leather and most manufactured exports. For Pakistani agri exporters, "FOB Karachi" effectively means "FOB KICT/PICT/SAPT" — the standard pricing basis for nearly every spice, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, fennel, sesame, pulse, salt and dried-flower export.
Karachi Port also has the densest carrier coverage of any Pakistani port — direct services on Maersk, MSC, CMA-CGM, ONE, Hapag-Lloyd, Cosco, Evergreen, Yang Ming and HMM, with weekly sailings to GCC, East Africa, Mediterranean, North Europe, Far East and US East Coast.
Practical KPT facts for Pakistani exporters:
Container booking lead time is typically 7-14 days; high-season (October-February for many spices) requires earlier booking. Most Pakistani agri exporters split between Karachi and Port Qasim by carrier and route preference.
Reference: Karachi Port Trust, kpt.gov.pk. Pakistan Customs / WeBOC, weboc.gov.pk. UN/LOCODE: PKKHI.