Goods Transport Strike Disrupts Raw Material Supply, Causes Billions in Losses

Karachi: The nationwide goods transport strike has severely disrupted supply chains, suspending the movement of raw materials and finished goods and causing losses worth billions of rupees, industry representatives warned on Tuesday.

Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance President Malik Shehzad Awan announced that transporters would continue their strike until their demands are formally accepted. He said all loading and unloading operations at ports have been halted, resulting in container terminals at Port Qasim and Karachi Port reaching nearly 80 percent capacity.

Awan cautioned that if the strike persists, ports may soon run out of space to accommodate containers. He added that negotiations with a government committee are scheduled for 12 noon today. According to him, negotiating committees of the federal and Punjab governments have agreed to accept the transporters’ demands, but the strike will not be called off until an official notification is issued.

The strike has badly affected supply chains across the country. For the past 10 days, the transportation of raw materials and finished goods to and from ports, factories and markets has remained suspended, putting severe pressure on industrial production.

Iron Merchants Association President Hammad Ponawala said industries are facing the risk of shutdowns due to shortages of raw materials, while iron traders and importers of other goods are suffering losses amounting to billions of rupees. He urged the transporters’ association to resolve the issue at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Rehan Hanif warned that industries nationwide are on the verge of collapse due to the ongoing strike. He added that due to the lack of space at ports, ships scheduled to arrive today and tomorrow may not be able to berth.