Port Qasim Authority Plans 30,000-Tonne Storage Boost for Cement Exports

The Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has announced plans to establish an additional storage capacity of 30,000 metric tonnes to support the growing demand for cement and clinker exports. The decision was revealed during a high-level meeting of the Task Force on Enhancing Cement and Clinker Exports, chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Haroon Akhtar Khan. The PQA chairman informed the meeting that a proposal for the new storage facility had already been submitted to the PQA Board for approval. He also assured participants that repair work on existing storage facilities would be completed by December 2025, ensuring smoother operations for exporters. The meeting, attended by key stakeholders including Prime Minister’s Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal, businessman Arif Habib, and representatives from the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), State Bank of Pakistan, Board of Investment, Gwadar Port Authority, and senior government officials, focused on strategies to enhance Pakistan’s cement export potential. Haroon Akhtar Khan highlighted the importance of infrastructure development, announcing that two additional multi-purpose berths at Port Qasim would be completed soon. He directed the PQA to provide a clear timeline for their establishment to ensure timely facilitation for exporters. Meanwhile, the KPT chairman confirmed that berths numbered 10 to 17 at Karachi Port would be operational by April 2026. In a bid to expand market access, Akhtar Khan instructed the State Bank of Pakistan to coordinate with Pakistan’s Ambassador in Dhaka to compile a list of Bangladeshi cement importers. He emphasized that this initiative would streamline the issuance of Letters of Credit for Pakistani banks operating in Bangladesh, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Pakistani cement in the region. To address logistical challenges, Akhtar Khan formed a sub-working group comprising representatives from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, KPT, and Arif Habib. The group has been tasked with identifying land near the Karachi Northern Bypass for the development of truck marshalling yards. These yards are expected to reduce transportation time and costs for cement exporters significantly.