As tensions between India and Pakistan increase, shipping lines begin to avoid Karachi

As the confrontation between India and Pakistan intensifies, container companies have started to steer clear of calls at Karachi. Although it is still small in extent, the action represents the most recent geopolitical disruption to affect the industry. As tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors increase, a number of shipping companies have informed clients of cancelled port visits in Karachi due to safety concerns.

According to reports, CMA CGM canceled calls at Karachi for two ships that had already left as part of its Asia Subcontinent Express (AS1) service: APL Florida (IMO: 9350032) and CMA CGM Shanghai (IMO: 9295220). As part of the AS1 service, cargo headed for the port will now be transhipped via Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The 7,471 TEU CMA CGM Shanghai made an abrupt southbound turn near Mumbai on May 3 and made a stop at Colombo on May 8, according to vessel-tracking data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence. On May 5, APL Florida arrived in Colombo, with Jawaharlal Nehru port in India listed as its AIS destination. According to the original published rotation, the next ports of call were Mundra and Karachi. It is unclear what the subsequent vessels in the string will do.

Gold Star Line, Zim’s regional shipping division, notified customers that it has suspended all cargo reservations headed for Karachi “because of tensions between India and Pakistan.” Items that have already left Shanghai but have not yet arrived in Karachi will be unloaded and transported to their final location via Singapore or Colombo. Services between the two nations have been banned, although reservations from a third country to Karachi are still available, according to an email statement from HMM.

As armed conflicts intensify, both sides have already prohibited bilateral trade. Each accuses the other of launching missile and drone attacks over their own boundaries. Following last month’s deadly terror attack on tourists in India-controlled Kashmir, a disputed territory at the center of long-standing hostilities between the hostile neighbors, tensions reached hazardous heights. Wilhelmsen Port Services provided guidelines in a message today that it stated will “probably apply under the evolving circumstances” in the lack of official direction.

These include possible prohibitions on foreign ships transporting goods from Pakistan that might not be able to make port calls in India and restrictions on ships that partially discharge their cargo in Pakistan before continuing on to India. In a statement, Maersk said it is keeping a careful eye on the changing circumstances around shipping restrictions and trade between India and Pakistan.  Maersk is aggressively realigning cargo flow to minimize disturbance to our customers’ supply networks and guarantee complete compliance with all governmental mandates. The business added that it will assess possible structural adjustments to its network if conflicts and limitations persist.