Key Points
- Vessel diverted from Oman-bound route to Gwadar for transshipment
- Ship carried nearly 20,700 pieces of prime steel billets
- Port operation highlights growing confidence of global shipping lines
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Gwadar Port has achieved a significant operational milestone after successfully berthing and handling a large deep-draft cargo vessel carrying more than 53,000 metric tons of steel billets, authorities said, in a development seen as reinforcing the port’s growing role in regional maritime trade.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the vessel, MV BI JIA SHAN, arrived safely at Gwadar Port on May 24 after sailing from China, demonstrating the port’s expanding operational capabilities and deep-water handling capacity.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Hong Kong-linked vessel, commanded by Captain Li Han, carried approximately 53,277 metric tons of prime steel billets comprising nearly 20,669 individual pieces.
Officials said the operation was particularly notable because the vessel had a draft of around 12.8 metres, testing Gwadar Port’s deep-sea navigation channel and cargo-handling infrastructure under demanding operational conditions.
The ministry said the successful berthing and unloading operation underscored the port’s readiness to accommodate large commercial vessels and strengthened its credentials as an emerging transshipment and logistics hub connecting regional markets.
The vessel had originally departed from Bayuquan Port in China and was initially scheduled to sail to Port Sohar in Oman. However, it diverted to Gwadar for transshipment operations, a move Pakistani authorities described as an indication of growing confidence among international shipping operators in the port’s strategic location and operational efficiency.
Minister Chaudhry said the successful handling of the vessel reflected Gwadar Port’s increasing importance in facilitating trade connectivity between China, the Middle East, Central Asia and other international markets. He added that the steady arrival and management of large deep-sea vessels demonstrated Gwadar’s expanding maritime potential and its gradual integration into regional and global supply chains.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs said it remained committed to ensuring safe, efficient and cost-effective port operations while further strengthening Pakistan’s role in regional connectivity, international trade corridors and maritime commerce.
Gwadar Port, located on Pakistan’s southwestern coast along the Arabian Sea, is regarded as a strategically important deep-water port and a central component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Pakistani officials have long projected the port as a future gateway for regional trade linking South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia through maritime and overland transport networks.
