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.
- Code
- PK
- Port
- 1
- Sea transit
- 20–26days
Container shipping from the UK to Pakistan runs full container load to Karachi (PKKHI). Less than container load runs to Karachi, with onward delivery to 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 goes to Karachi. It is delivered onward to Lahore. 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.
Inland delivery points in Pakistan
Groupage reaches 1 location beyond the ports, by road from whichever port the container is stripped at. If your town is on this list we deliver to the door; if it is not, ask — the list is where we run a regular service, not the limit of where we can go.
Lahore
The transit figures on the port cards above are port to port. Delivery to an inland point adds the road leg from the arrival port, which is confirmed with your quote rather than estimated here.
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
Rates are set per port and per direction, because they genuinely differ — the British gateway, the arrival port and which way the cargo is moving all change the number. The cheapest gateway for each Pakistan port is shown below — ask us for the full pair-by-pair table if you need to compare gateways.
| Port | Direction | Via | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi PKKHI | UK to Pakistan | Felixstowe | £74 per cubic metre |
| Karachi PKKHI | Pakistan to UK | Felixstowe | £69 per cubic metre |
These port-by-port figures are a worked example showing how lane pricing displays — not quotable rates. Ask us for the real figure on your pair before you budget from it.
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, including 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.
Bangladesh
Import & export · Chittagong
FCL from
£1,285.43
per 40ft container
26+ days
Vietnam
Import & export · Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai)
FCL from
£595.00
per 20ft container
28+ days
Thailand
Import & export · Laem Chabang
FCL from
£595.00
per 20ft container
28+ days
Plan 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.