Freight Rates Pakistan to Far East: FCL Shipping and Transit Times
China is Pakistan's second-largest export market, and Pakistani sales there rose about 46% in the first seven months of 2026. Direct sailings reach Shanghai from Karachi in about 17 days. Get live prices, schedules and export clearance on one booking.
- Exports to China
- US$2.84bn
- Calendar 2025, China Customs
- Exports to China, 2026
- +46%
- January to July, China Customs
- Fastest FCL sailing
- From 17 days
- Karachi to Shanghai or Busan, direct
- China's export share
- 9%
- Pakistan's #2 market, FY2025-26
Trade Snapshot: Pakistan → Far East
China Customs (GACC) data as reported by Gwadar Pro, The Nation and Tribune for China; UN Comtrade via Trading Economics for Japan, Korea and Hong Kong (calendar 2025). Chinese and Pakistani figures for the same trade differ, so each is labelled.
- US$2.84bn
- Pakistan exports to China, 2025
- Per China Customs, up 1.07%. Pakistan's own Comtrade figure for the year is US$2.29bn.
- US$2.14bn
- Exports to China, January to July 2026
- Up 45.9% from US$1.46bn. First-half 2026 grew 50.7%, led by copper, cereals and sesame.
- US$203m
- Exports to Japan, 2025
- Japan's own records show US$244m. Cotton, knitwear and seafood lead.
- US$165m
- Exports to South Korea, 2025
- Korea's own records show US$255m. Korea and Pakistan began CEPA talks in 2026.
Top shipping lines
Top shipping lines on Pakistan → Far East
Lines with published services on this lane. Select one to track a container with them.
Country context
Origin and destination country snapshot
Port activity and top partner mix from official trade and port statistics.
Pakistan
2025 and 2026- GACC-registered food firms
- 600+
- As of October 2025
- Seafood exports, FY2025-26
- US$568m
- A record, all markets
- Sesame to China
- 103,340 t
- January to July 2026, worth US$105m
Pakistan's exports to China (2025, share of US$2.29bn)
- Copper (HS 74) 34.7%
- Cotton and yarn (HS 52) 20.7%
- Fish and seafood (HS 03) 9.6%
- Ores and slag (HS 26) 8.4%
- Oilseeds (HS 12) 3.9%
UN Comtrade (Pakistan as reporter) via Trading Economics, 2025; GACC data reported by The Nation; Pakistan Ministry of Maritime Affairs via Radio Pakistan.
the Far East
2025- Japan
- US$202.5m
- Pakistan-reported exports
- South Korea
- US$165m
- Pakistan-reported exports
- Hong Kong
- US$37.6m
- Pakistan-reported exports
What Japan buys from Pakistan (2025, share of US$202.5m)
- Cotton (HS 52) 20.1%
- Knit apparel (HS 61) 9.3%
- Fish and seafood (HS 03) 7.3%
- Woven apparel (HS 62) 6.4%
- Made-up textiles (HS 63) 6.2%
UN Comtrade via Trading Economics, calendar 2025 (Pakistan as reporter).
Top Commodities Traded (Pakistan → Far East)
UN Comtrade (Pakistan as reporter) via Trading Economics, 2025; China Customs (GACC) as reported by The Nation and Tribune for 2026 figures.
Copper
The largest line at US$795m in 2025. In January to May 2026 copper exports to China reached US$675m, up 71.7% and 43.7% of everything Pakistan sold there.
Cotton & Cotton Yarn
US$474m in 2025. Two yarn lines alone ran at US$205m and US$181m in January to November 2025, about 15% of exports to China.
Sesame
103,340 tonnes worth US$105m in January to July 2026, against 49,031 tonnes and US$61m a year earlier. A trader estimates China took about 58% of the 2025-26 crop.
Seafood
About US$255m to China in 2025, up 24%. Pakistan's total seafood exports hit a record US$568m in FY2025-26, with frozen fish the top item.
Heat-treated Beef & Halal Meat
China approved Pakistani beef in June 2023. Boiled beef reached US$5.2m in the first half of 2025, and halal meat US$14.3m in January to November, up 239%.
Rice & Cereals
Cereal exports to China were US$123m in January to July 2026, up 200%. Rice sales are among the fastest-growing lines.
Major Ports & Transit Benchmarks
Benchmarks are published schedule ranges; confirm the ETA on the live sailing before you book.
- Origins
- Karachi (SAPT, KICT, KGTL) • Port Qasim (QICT)
- Destinations
- Shanghai • Ningbo • Qingdao • Nansha • Shekou • Hong Kong • Busan • Yokohama
- Carriers
- Maersk • OOCL • COSCO • CMA CGM • ONE • Wan Hai • Sinokor • TS Lines
Karachi to the Far East runs on direct loops that call Singapore on the way. Cargo also moves through Colombo, and the May 2025 India-Pakistan ship bans pushed some carriers to restructure their Pakistan calls, so rotations are subject to change. There is no confirmed regular Gwadar to Far East liner service; Gwadar has handled occasional transshipment calls. Overland, the Khunjerab Pass has operated year-round since 1 December 2024; Sost dry port cleared about 12,000 tonnes in December 2025, and Pakistan Customs lists Sust/Khunjerab as a TIR border point for trucking to Kashgar.
Instant Rate Levels
Selected
Karachi → Shanghai • 20' Standard
Direct • From 17 days • Singapore
Live all-in price on request
Ocean freight, BAF and local charges quoted against this week's carrier tariffs for your exact cargo. We don't print a sample range here because it would be stale before you read it.
Quick Compare
- Transit
- From 17 days
- Service
- Direct
What moves the price on Pakistan → Far East
- trending_upLane balance: Pakistan buys about seven dollars from China for every dollar it sells there, so China-bound space is plentiful and pricing is often driven by empty-container repositioning.
- trending_upCommodity-specific handling: copper and ores are heavy and often shipped in 20ft boxes, while seafood and beef need reefer plugs, which price very differently from dry cargo.
- trending_upPeak windows: sesame shipments follow the harvest, and Chinese holidays can bring carrier network changes and blank sailings, as Maersk's August 2026 Golden Week advisory showed, so book ahead of Chinese New Year and Golden Week.
- trending_upCompliance cost: GACC registration, CPFTA origin certificates and inspection all affect how quickly cargo clears at the Chinese end, which changes demurrage exposure.
Popular port pairs
Pakistan → Far East
Quick-launch rate requests for the main port pairs on this lane.
Why Choose Maalbardaar for Pakistan → Far East?
Licensed customs clearance • Live tracking • One team at both ends of the paperwork
GACC & CPFTA Paperwork
Help with China's food-facility registration numbers on the declaration and with the CPFTA certificate of origin from TDAP, before the vessel sails.
Reefer & Bulk Cargo
Reefer boxes for seafood and beef, and heavy-cargo handling for copper and ores, arranged with the right terminal at Karachi or Port Qasim.
Export Clearance in Karachi
The export Single Declaration and electronic certificate of origin filed through Pakistan Single Window by one licensed team, with tracking to Shanghai.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does sea freight take from Karachi to China?
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The fastest scheduled direct sailing from Karachi to Shanghai takes about 17 days, with departures every one to two days across the carriers that serve it. Karachi to Busan is also about 17 days direct. Transshipment routings take longer and vary by sailing.
Can Pakistani goods enter China duty free?
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Many can. Under CPFTA Phase II, in force since 1 December 2019, China removed duty on 313 priority lines immediately and zero-duty coverage rises from 35% to 75% of tariff lines over ten years, while about 25% of lines stay protected. You need an electronic certificate of origin from TDAP, requested through Pakistan Single Window; the fee is calculated live in PSW.
Do I need GACC registration to export food to China?
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Yes. Since 1 June 2026 China's Decree 280 replaced Decree 248. Higher-risk categories such as meat, dairy and aquatic products need an official recommendation from Pakistan's competent authority, and the registration number must appear on the customs declaration. Over 600 Pakistani firms held GACC registration as of October 2025.
What does Pakistan export to China?
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Copper, cotton and cotton yarn, seafood, ores and oilseeds such as sesame lead. In 2026 cereals, sesame and heat-treated beef have grown fastest. Total exports to China rose about 46% in January to July 2026.
Are there direct services from Pakistan to China?
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Yes, though rotations have changed. Maersk's FI2, launched in June 2026, runs from Port Qasim to Shanghai, Ningbo and Nansha, COSCO's and OOCL's PMX runs Karachi to Shanghai and Ningbo via Port Klang and Singapore, and CMA CGM's AS6 links Nansha directly with Pakistan. OOCL's CPX3 has been withdrawn. After the May 2025 India-Pakistan ship bans some cargo moved via Colombo instead, so we confirm the current rotation at booking.
Does Pakistan get tariff preferences in Japan?
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Yes. Pakistan is a beneficiary of Japan's GSP, which needs a Form A certificate of origin from TDAP. Most industrial products enter duty-free, but some items such as leather clothing and footwear are excluded, and agricultural and fishery goods are covered only for listed items.
Is there a free trade agreement with South Korea?
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Not yet. Pakistan and South Korea launched CEPA negotiations in 2025, held a first round in Seoul in May 2026 and concluded it in August 2026 with six MOUs signed. We haven't found a Korean tariff preference for Pakistani goods, so don't assume one.
Still have questions?
For assistance, please visit our Contact Us page. Our team clears and forwards cargo on this lane every week.
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Figures on this page come from official trade statistics and carrier-published schedules, checked September 2026. Transit times are schedule ranges and vary by sailing; trade values are reported in US dollars for the period stated beside each figure. Maalbardaar is not affiliated with the shipping lines named here.