Growing trade volumes out of the Indian subcontinent amid the trade diversification in Asia are driving global maritime investors to pour more money into the market.
Maersk subsidiary APM Terminals is weighing options to build a terminal presence in Pakistan to tap the potential.
“Pakistan is strategically important for us with its strong appetite for growth and for the role the country plays in global trade,” a company spokesperson told Container News.
The official also said: “We are constantly exploring good investment opportunities across the globe.”
According to the official, the APMT CEO recently visited Pakistan to hold talks with Pakistan government representatives and to identify potential investment opportunities.
The spokesperson went on to add: “We are following up on next steps with the government.”
In late 2022, the group opened a large warehouse in Pakistan, as a first step to creating a landside footprint.
“The warehousing facilities especially strengthened Maersk’s position by being able to store goods that were in lower demand and slowed down supply chains when needed,” the company said while announcing the launch.
Located within the Port Qasim harbour, the 560,000-square-foot facility was designed to cater to storage requirements of cargo from retail and lifestyle, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), automotive and technology sectors.
The integrated logistics park has been equipped with modern warehouse management systems, with a one-stop shop logistics experience -– involving ocean and landside services — for customers, thus paving the way for higher efficiencies, faster turnaround times, deeper visibility and better control over the cargo movement.
“With our state-of-the-art Integrated Logistics Park, we want to ensure that we play an important role in connecting and simplifying the supply chains for importers, exporters and traders of Pakistan,” Maersk Pakistan MD Hasan Faraz earlier noted.
Jakob Linulf, the Danish Ambassador to Pakistan: “Pakistan has incredible potential to grow, and there are enough opportunities for trade to flourish here. Despite the various current challenges, Maersk has played an important role as a trusted partner for Pakistan’s
traders.”
Most India-US East Coast connections, including the Indamex network, feature Port Qasim/Karachi as a regular port of call, reflecting the trade demand.
Jenny Daniel
Global Correspondent
Contact email: [email protected]