Govt weighs deploying PNSC vessels as Pakistan's GCC exports fall 12% due to Hormuz crisis

Pakistan's exports to Gulf Cooperation Council countries fell 12% in July 2026 from a year earlier, while imports from the bloc dropped 35%, according to Business Recorder. The government is weighing several options to keep shipments moving, including deploying vessels owned by Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC). Commerce Ministry figures showed exports to Bahrain plunged 50.8% and exports to Saudi Arabia fell 20.5%.

The Commerce Ministry blamed the slump on worsening maritime security after the interim US-Iran truce collapsed in July 2026. It said the Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles 70 to 80 commercial crossings a day, had at times seen only six vessels, leaving hundreds of ships waiting outside. Houthi attacks also prompted threats against Saudi-linked shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, forcing Pakistani shipments to the region to move by air in July.

To offset the disruption, the ministry has proposed dedicated feeder services linking Karachi with Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Omani ports outside the chokepoint. It has also suggested fast-tracking passenger-cargo ferries between Gwadar and GCC ports, positioning Gwadar as a fallback logistics hub. The proposals sit alongside the possible use of PNSC vessels to keep exports linked to Gulf markets.