Pakistan has 28 ports and terminals indexed in the Ecer Freight database, supporting maritime trade planning across the Arabian Sea and regional inland supply chains.
Compare port codes, regional coverage, published throughput indicators and practical freight-routing considerations for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s seaborne trade is concentrated on the Arabian Sea gateway system, with Karachi-area facilities and Port Qasim serving as the principal commercial logistics hubs. Indexed-port coverage and published national statistics are separate measures and should not be treated as interchangeable.
How many seaports does Pakistan have?
Pakistan has 28 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in the Oct 2026 database snapshot. This is an indexed-coverage figure, not a claim that every facility is an active international container port.
Which port is the largest or busiest gateway?
Karachi Port and Port Qasim are generally identified as Pakistan’s principal commercial gateways. The supplied port sample includes Colon Free Zone (PACOL) and Cristobal (PACRI); these records are retained as database-indexed entries but should be verified before operational use.
Which areas handle most Pakistan cargo?
The main cargo concentration is normally the Karachi–Port Qasim industrial corridor, with feeder, bulk and project-cargo activity linked to the Arabian Sea. Regional routing and terminal selection remain subject to carrier and port confirmation.
The table below uses the first-party sample supplied for this page and preserves its activity ordering. Because the supplied records carry PA rather than PK UN/LOCODE prefixes and no verified Pakistan throughput series is attached, ranking and 2025 TEU fields are left unassigned rather than inferred.
Indexed records shown in supplied activity order; 2025 throughput data requires port-level verification.
| World rank | Port | UN-LOCODE | 2025 throughput (M TEU) | YoY change | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Colon Free Zone | PACOL | — | — | Database sample |
| — | Balboa | PABLB | — | — | Database sample |
| — | Agua Dulce | PAAGD | — | — | Database sample |
| — | Cristobal | PACRI | — | — | Database sample |
| — | Panama City | PAPAN | — | — | Database sample |
| — | Manzanillo, Pa | PAMAN | — | — | Database sample |
The supplied database sample does not align with Pakistan’s PK country prefix. The following groupings transparently preserve the supplied port names, cities and codes for verification rather than presenting them as confirmed Pakistan facilities.
Several supplied records are associated with Colon and nearby terminal locations.
Supplied city and province fields
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colon Free Zone | PACOL | Colon / — | Free-zone and container-related activity |
| Cristobal | PACRI | — / — | Port and transshipment activity |
| Colon Cntr.tmnl | PACCT | Colon / — | Container terminal record |
| Colon | PAONX | Colon / — | General port record |
| Manzanillo Pa | PAMIT | Colon / — | Terminal record |
| Coco Solo | PACSO | Colon / — | Local and terminal activity |
The sample also contains Balboa and Panama City records that require country-code validation before shipment booking.
Supplied city and province fields
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balboa | PABLB | Balboa / — | Container and transshipment record |
| Balboa | PABAL | — / — | Port record |
| Psa Tml In Balboa | PAROD | Psa Tml In Balboa / — | Terminal record |
| Panama City | PAPAN | Panama / — | Urban port record |
| Panama City | PAPTY | Panama City / — | Port record |
Additional records span smaller locations and should be checked against the intended country dataset.
Supplied city and province fields
| Port | UN-LOCODE | City / Province | Main cargo role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agua Dulce | PAAGD | Agua Dulce / — | Local cargo record |
| Chiriqui Grande | PACGE | Chiriqui Grande / — | Regional cargo record |
| Vacamonte | PAVAC | Vacamonte / — | Industrial and general cargo record |
| Pedregal | PAPED | Pedregal / — | Regional port record |
| Chitre | PACTD | Chitre / — | Local cargo record |
UN/LOCODE validation is essential when a country dataset contains records with a different prefix. Pakistan locations generally require the PK prefix; the supplied sample uses PA codes and therefore needs database review before it is used for a Pakistan shipment.
A UN/LOCODE normally combines a two-letter country prefix with a three-character location identifier. For Pakistan, the country prefix is PK. Always compare the code with the current UNECE register and the carrier booking system.
A city-level port code may identify a broader location, while a terminal-level record can identify a specific container, bulk or specialist facility. Similar names do not necessarily represent interchangeable gates.
Check the country prefix, location name, terminal designation and carrier acceptance. Cross-reference the UNECE UN/LOCODE register and the Ecer Freight port directory before quoting a route.
Pakistan’s principal ocean connections generally link Karachi-area gateways with the Gulf, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe. Transit times are indicative and depend on sailing schedules, transshipment, congestion, equipment and customs clearance.
A frequent regional lane for consumer goods, industrial inputs, energy-related cargo and re-exports.
Containerized machinery, electronics, textiles inputs and manufactured goods commonly move on established Asia services.
Textiles, leather goods, agricultural products and industrial cargo generally move through direct or transshipment services.
Shorter regional services support movements of raw materials, food products, project cargo and consumer goods.
The page separates Ecer Freight’s indexed-record count from external port rankings and official statistics. External figures are included only when the relevant authority publishes a comparable definition and reporting year.
Pakistan has 28 seaports and terminals indexed by Ecer Freight in the Oct 2026 database snapshot. The figure represents indexed coverage and not necessarily 28 active international container ports.
Karachi Port and Port Qasim are generally regarded as Pakistan’s principal commercial gateways. Exact rankings vary by cargo type, reporting period and whether container, dry bulk or liquid bulk is measured.
Pakistan’s UN/LOCODE country prefix is PK, followed by a three-character location code. The supplied sample for this page contains PA-prefixed records, so those entries should be validated before booking.
The Karachi–Port Qasim industrial corridor generally handles the largest share of Pakistan’s international maritime cargo, with connections to Gulf, Asian, South Asian and European markets.
The first-party indexed count is a database snapshot for Oct 2026. External statistics are referenced by reporting year, with 2025 preferred where a comparable official publication is available. Port conditions remain subject to confirmation.
Yes. Shipment details such as origin, destination, commodity, container size, incoterms, gross weight and required sailing date should be supplied for an FCL or LCL rate check.
Editorial note: This guide combines the Ecer Freight port index with publicly available authority and international trade references. Indexed coverage is reviewed with the database snapshot, while external port statistics and operating conditions are reviewed quarterly or when authoritative updates become available.
Ecer Freight · Seaports in Pakistan: Port Codes, Throughput & Regional Guide (2026) · Data reviewed quarterly · Port Codes · Ports by Country · Contact
