Pakistan's sea freight exports surge 73% as Middle East conflict reshapes global trade, says WTO

Sea freight transport exports from Pakistan jumped 73% year on year during the first half of 2026, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said. The body linked the gain to shipping disruptions from the Middle East conflict, which rerouted maritime traffic and gave local carriers fresh business.

The WTO's Global Trade Outlook Update 2026, published Thursday, showed vessel calls at major Karachi container terminals up 14% in July from a year earlier. It also noted a 23% rise in Pakistan's computer services exports during the second quarter, a pace that sat between Brazil's 13% and Malaysia's 34%.

The WTO lifted its 2026 projection for world goods trade volume growth to 3.9% and its 2027 estimate to 4.1%, up from 1.9% and 2.6% set in March. Even so, it warned that diverting vessels and containers to other ports had strained South Asian shipping capacity, raising freight charges and transit times. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) introduced a $500-per-container congestion charge in July on cargo moving from Northern Europe into Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.