Asia
Container Shipping from the UK to Pakistan
Karachi handles the country's container trade, with onward road and rail north to Lahore and the Punjab industrial belt.
Container shipping from the UK to Pakistan runs full container load to Karachi (PKKHI). Less than container load runs to Karachi and Lahore. Sea transit is 20–26 days port to port and air freight 1–3 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Pakistan are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in Pakistan
Full container load goes to Karachi. Groupage reaches Karachi and Lahore — the inland points are served by road from the arrival port. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Karachi
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Felixstowe.
- UK door
- UK loading warehouse
- Karachi
- Lahore
Consolidated first at our UK loading warehouses: Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Essex, Glasgow, Manchester or Newcastle.
Get a price for Pakistan
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in Pakistan are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £1,420.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £2,250.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £74.00 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to Pakistan?
Machinery and spare parts, textile and industrial equipment, automotive components, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and household effects for families relocating move through Karachi.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into Pakistan?
Pakistan charges Sales Tax at a standard rate of 18%, charged on the customs value plus duty plus any additional duties. Customs duty is separate and runs at 0–20% customs duty, plus additional and regulatory duties, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
Pakistan layers additional customs duty and, on many consumer categories, regulatory duty on top of the base tariff, so the landed cost is materially higher than the headline rate suggests. Commercial imports need an Electronic Import Form raised through the consignee's bank before shipment, and everything clears through the WeBOC and Pakistan Single Window systems against the consignee's National Tax Number.
What are the import restrictions in Pakistan?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into Pakistan?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
UK to Pakistan shipping: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to Pakistan take?
Sea freight runs about 20–26 days port to port, and air freight 1–3 days airport to airport. Karachi is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 20 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in Pakistan?
We move cargo through one port in Pakistan: Karachi (PKKHI). Full container load goes to Karachi. Groupage runs to Karachi and Lahore, the inland points served by road from the arrival port. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for Pakistan?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in Pakistan — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the Pakistan lane?
Delivery to Lahore or the wider Punjab adds a long domestic leg beyond port clearance, and that leg is where most of the variability sits. Ask for a door transit rather than a port transit if the consignee is not in Karachi. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes industrial and textile machinery, chemicals and dyes, vehicles, parts and accessories.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near Pakistan — each one works as an origin or a destination.
China
Import & export · Shanghai
LCL from
£95.00
per cubic metre
32+ days
View lane
Singapore
Import & export · Singapore
LCL from
£90.00
per cubic metre
26+ days
View lane
India
Import & export · Nhava Sheva (JNPT)
LCL from
£72.00
per cubic metre
22+ days
View lanePlan the rest of the move
Shipping to Pakistan? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.