China to Pakistan sea freight rates — September 2026
Rate update published 11 September 2026 · sailings from 16 September 2026. All rates are per container in USD and are subject to space and to confirmation at the time of booking.
Pakistan is served in this update on the newly opened KCI service, which also calls Nhava Sheva and Mundra. Karachi (PKKHI) is quoted at USD 4,100 / 4,200 — a little above the Indian ports on the same JIRA BHUM 014W sailing (Regional Container Lines), ETD 23 September 2026.
China to Pakistan sea freight rates — September 2026
The table below lists the port of loading, destination port, service and routing, vessel and voyage, carrier, ETD and the 20GP / 40GP / 40HQ ocean freight in US dollars. In this update 40GP and 40HQ are quoted at the same level.
| Port of loading | Destination port | Service & routing | Vessel / voyage | Carrier | ETD | 20GP (USD) | 40GP (USD) | 40HQ (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To be confirmed at booking | Karachi PKKHI Free time on request | KCI new service | JIRA BHUM 014W | RCL | 23 Sep 2026 | 4,100 | 4,200 | 4,200 |
All figures are ocean freight per container in USD and exclude origin local charges, destination local charges, customs duty and any drop-off fee unless the notes below say otherwise. Free time at the destination port is shown under each destination. Rates are indicative and are reconfirmed when the booking is placed.
Service details and loading notes
- KCI is a newly opened service sharing its rotation with Nhava Sheva and Mundra. Book early: containers over the weight cut-off will be rolled to the following vessel.
- Karachi is quoted at USD 4,100 / 4,200, USD 100 above the Nhava Sheva and Mundra level on the same sailing.
- Freight levels on the China–Middle East, Red Sea and Indian subcontinent trades are currently running high. For this reason we are temporarily not signing new monthly settlement (credit) agreements with first-time customers; spot bookings paid on delivery or against invoice remain available.
Destination ports in Pakistan
| Port | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Karachi (PKKHI) | Pakistan's main port complex on the Arabian Sea, handling the bulk of the country's containerised imports through Karachi Port Trust terminals and nearby Port Qasim. Entry point for Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad. |
Get a quotation for Pakistan today
Send us your commodity, total weight and volume, the pickup city in China and the delivery address in Pakistan. Our freight team will confirm the applicable service, cut-off and all-in cost, usually within one working day. You can reach us at sales007@goodhopefreight.com or on WhatsApp / WeChat +86 18938691638.
China to Pakistan — freight rate and market updates (dated log, 2026)
Compiled 23 September 2026 from our booking-desk logs and from market quotations shared by carrier and consolidator desks. Ocean and rail rates are per container; air, express and DDP rates are per kilogram. Figures are indicative, are in USD unless stated otherwise, and must be re-confirmed when you book.
We logged 72 full-container quotations to Pakistan during 2026. The most frequently quoted gateways were Karachi (SAPT), Karachi (KICT), Karachi (PICT). The lowest container level recorded was USD 1,650 (2026-07-21) and the highest USD 3,800 (2026-09-14), which shows how wide the spread was between carriers and sailing windows.
For air cargo we recorded 12 service updates to Pakistan in 2026, mostly on SF Airlines (O3), China Southern Airlines (CZ), SriLankan Airlines (UL).
FCL — full container load (sea freight)
Container rates actually quoted, grouped by month and gateway. Ranges show the lowest and the highest level we saw in that month.
| Month | Port of loading | Destination | Equipment | Ocean freight (USD) | Booking notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | Nansha / Shekou | Karachi (SAPT) | as quoted | USD 1,200 – USD 1,300 | 2 quotations |
| April 2026 | Xiamen | Karachi | as quoted | USD 1,300 | — |
| May 2026 | Nansha | Karachi (KICT) | 40ft | USD 2,700 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 2 · cut-off on the 2 |
| June 2026 | Xiamen | Karachi | as quoted | USD 2,200 | — |
| June 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (KICT) | as quoted | USD 2,450 – USD 2,650 | 8 quotations · cut-off on the 27 · cut-off on the 20 |
| June 2026 | Nansha | Karachi (KICT) | 40ft | USD 3,150 | 2 quotations · 1 with space only · cut-off on the 8 · cut-off on the 8 |
| June 2026 | Nansha / Huangpu | Karachi (SAPT) | as quoted | USD 2,250 – USD 2,800 | 3 quotations · cut-off on the 26 · cut-off on the 26 |
| June 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (SAPT) | 40ft | USD 2,550 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 12 · cut-off on the 12 |
| July 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (KICT) | as quoted | USD 1,850 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 18 · cut-off on the 18 |
| July 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (SAPT) | as quoted | USD 1,600 – USD 1,950 | 10 quotations · cut-off on the 26 · cut-off on the 26 |
| July 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (SAPT) | 40ft | USD 1,650 – USD 1,950 | 8 quotations · cut-off on the 27 · cut-off on the 27 |
| August 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (SAPT) | as quoted | USD 2,950 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 29 · cut-off on the 29 |
| August 2026 | Nansha | Karachi (SAPT) | 40ft | USD 2,750 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 22 · cut-off on the 22 |
| September 2026 | Shekou / Tianjin / Nansha | Karachi | as quoted | USD 3,550 – USD 3,800 | 7 quotations · 3 with space only · cut-off on the 22 · cut-off on the 10 |
| September 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (KICT) | 40ft | USD 3,800 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 22 · cut-off on the 22 |
| September 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (KICT) | as quoted | USD 3,700 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 10 · cut-off on the 10 |
| September 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (PICT) | as quoted | USD 3,650 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 10 · cut-off on the 10 |
| September 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (SAPT) | 40ft | USD 3,800 | 2 quotations · cut-off on the 16 · cut-off on the 16 |
| September 2026 | Shekou | Karachi (SAPT) | as quoted | USD 3,700 – USD 3,750 | 4 quotations · cut-off on the 6 · cut-off on the 6 |
Plot of the dated quotations in the table above, on a date (x) and rate (y) axis. Where one period carries several quotations the points are averaged. Rates are indicative, exclude destination charges unless the row says otherwise, and are reconfirmed at booking.
Plot data (18 points)
| Date | Route / equipment | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – as quoted | 1,250 |
| 2026-06-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – as quoted | 2,525 |
| 2026-07-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – as quoted | 1,775 |
| 2026-08-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – as quoted | 2,950 |
| 2026-09-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – as quoted | 3,725 |
| 2026-06-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – 40GP | 2,550 |
| 2026-07-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – 40GP | 1,800 |
| 2026-08-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – 40GP | 2,750 |
| 2026-09-01 | Karachi (SAPT) – 40GP | 3,800 |
| 2026-04-01 | Karachi | 1,300 |
| 2026-06-01 | Karachi | 2,200 |
| 2026-09-01 | Karachi | 3,675 |
| 2026-05-01 | Karachi (KICT) – 40GP | 2,700 |
| 2026-06-01 | Karachi (KICT) – 40GP | 3,150 |
| 2026-09-01 | Karachi (KICT) – 40GP | 3,800 |
| 2026-06-01 | Karachi (KICT) – as quoted | 2,550 |
| 2026-07-01 | Karachi (KICT) – as quoted | 1,850 |
| 2026-09-01 | Karachi (KICT) – as quoted | 3,700 |
Space offered without a published rate
The following sailings were offered with equipment or space available while the carrier kept the freight rate on request.
| Month | Port of loading | Destination | Equipment | Ocean freight (USD) | Availability notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Shekou | Karachi | as quoted | — | 2 space-only offers |
| June 2026 | Nansha | Port Qasim | 40ft | — | 2 space-only offers · cut-off on the 1 · cut-off on the 1 |
| July 2026 | Qingdao | Karachi | 40ft | — | 1 rate advised on request |
| July 2026 | Xiamen | Karachi | as quoted | — | 1 space-only offer |
| August 2026 | Qingdao | Karachi | 40ft | — | 1 space-only offer |
| September 2026 | Tianjin | Karachi | 40ft | — | 1 space-only offer |
LCL — less than container load (groupage)
| Date | Origin | Destination | Rate | Consolidation notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-06 | Yantian / Shekou | Karachi plus transit ports | — | August priority ports include Karachi |
Air freight
| Date | Airline | Destination airport | Rate | Space status and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-25 | Gulf Air (GF) | Islamabad (ISB) / Lahore (LHE) / Peshawar (PEW) | — | promotional rate |
| 2026-02-25 | Saudia (SV) | Lahore (LHE) | — | lithium batteries accepted |
| 2026-04-15 | China Southern Airlines (CZ) | Lahore (LHE) | — | — |
| 2026-05-21 | China Southern Airlines (CZ) | Lahore (LHE) | — | — |
| 2026-05-21 | SF Airlines (O3) | Islamabad (ISB) | — | space open |
| 2026-05-26 | SF Airlines (O3) | Islamabad (ISB) | — | space open; direct flight |
| 2026-06-01 | SF Airlines (O3) | Islamabad (ISB) | — | space open; direct flight |
| 2026-06-14 | SF Airlines (O3) | Islamabad (ISB) | — | space open; direct flight |
| 2026-06-19 | SF Airlines (O3) | Islamabad (ISB) | — | space open; direct flight |
| 2026-07-01 | SF Airlines (O3) | Islamabad (ISB) | — | space open; direct flight |
| 2026-07-17 | Thai Airways (TG) | Karachi (KHI) | — | space open; loose cargo accepted |
| 2026-09-17 | SriLankan Airlines (UL) | Karachi (KHI) / Lahore (LHE) | — | loose cargo accepted; palletised cargo |
Airline promotions and capacity notices
Chronological record of the airline and consolidator promotion notices for China–Pakistan air cargo that our quotation desk logged during 2026. Each line records what was being advertised on the day, not a confirmed rate; space, routings and prices move within hours, so treat every entry as market colour and ask us to re-check the flight before you commit cargo.
| Date | Airline | Departure airport in China | Promotion and capacity notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-25 | Gulf Air (GF) | Beijing (PEK) | Offers promotional air-freight rates to Islamabad (ISB), Lahore (LHE) and Peshawar (PEW). |
| 2026-02-25 | Saudia (SV) | Hong Kong, China (HKG) | Has approval to carry lithium batteries to Lahore (LHE). |
| 2026-06-02 | SriLankan Airlines (UL) | Shanghai (PVG) | Has open space to Karachi (KHI) and Lahore (LHE). |
| 2026-07-17 | Thai Airways (TG) | China (not stated) | Operates an air-to-air transfer service to Karachi (KHI). |
| 2026-09-20 | China Southern Airlines (CZ) | Guangzhou (CAN) | Operates a direct service to Islamabad (ISB). |
| 2026-09-23 | Air China (CA) | Beijing (PEK) | Offers promotional air-freight rates to Lahore (LHE) over the National Day / Mid-Autumn holiday. |
Earlier quotations held in our log (2023–2025)
2023 FCL (3 entries), 2024 FCL (21 entries), 2025 FCL (29 entries). Ask our desk for the dated archive if you need to benchmark an earlier period.
Frequently asked questions — shipping from China
The answers below are drawn from the same quotation log as the tables above. Figures are indicative and are reconfirmed at booking.
How much does a 20GP container from Shenzhen (Shekou) or Guangzhou (Nansha) in China to Karachi (SAPT) cost?
In our quotation log for February to September 2026 the 20GP rate to Karachi (SAPT) ran from USD 1,200 – USD 3,450 per container across 25 quotations, loaded mainly at Shekou / Nansha. Other gateways priced in the same period: Karachi (KICT) at USD 1,850 – USD 3,700; Karachi at USD 1,300 – USD 3,700; Karachi (PICT) at USD 3,650. Ocean freight is quoted port-to-port and the figure moves with the weekly GRI, peak-season surcharges and equipment availability, so treat it as a benchmark rather than a fixed tariff and confirm it against your cargo ready date.
What is the 40ft / 40HQ rate from China to Karachi (SAPT)?
The 40ft and 40HQ quotations we logged to Karachi (SAPT) in February to September 2026 ranged from USD 1,200 – USD 3,800 per container across 35 quotations. Other gateways priced in the same period: Karachi (KICT) at USD 1,850 – USD 3,800; Karachi at USD 1,300 – USD 3,800. A 40ft high cube carries roughly twice the volume of a 20GP for well under twice the freight, so once your cargo passes about 28 CBM the 40HQ is normally the cheaper unit per cubic metre.
Is container space available from China to Pakistan right now?
Yes. During 2026 we logged 11 offers to Pakistan where equipment or space was available to the desk while the carrier kept the freight rate on request (mostly to Karachi, Port Qasim, Karachi (KICT)). That pattern usually means space is open but the tariff is being quoted case by case. Send your cargo ready date and we will come back with the vessel, the sailing and a named price.
How long does shipping from China to Pakistan take?
Typical port-to-port sailing time from South China is 18 to 28 days; add three to seven days if the cargo loads in North China. Direct services beat transhipment routings by one to two weeks, and schedule reliability, blank sailings and port congestion all move the date. We confirm the actual ETD and ETA against your booking rather than quoting a standard transit time.
What is included in the freight rates shown on this page?
Ocean and rail figures are the port-to-port (or terminal-to-terminal) freight only. They exclude origin handling, export customs, THC and CFS, documentation, destination THC, import duty and final delivery, unless the row names a door-to-door or DDP service. Air figures are airport-to-airport per chargeable kilo and exclude pick-up and delivery. Every figure is indicative until it is confirmed against a specific vessel, flight or train and a cargo ready date.
Can I ship less than a container load (LCL) from China to Pakistan?
Yes. LCL groupage is charged per revenue tonne (1 CBM or 1,000 kg, with volume weight taken if it is greater) plus fixed documentation and CFS charges, so it is usually the better option below roughly 15 CBM. Above that a 20GP starts to win on cost per cubic metre. Give us the volume, weight and cargo readiness and we will price both side by side for Pakistan.
How do I get an exact quote for shipping to Pakistan?
Send the commodity, gross weight, volume, the pick-up city in China and the delivery address in Pakistan to sales007@goodhopefreight.com. We reply with the applicable service, the named vessel, flight or train, the cut-off and an all-in cost, usually the same working day. If you are weighing up routes, tell us the ready date and we will price sea, rail and air side by side.
Rates, surcharges, cut-offs and equipment availability change daily. Send your commodity, gross weight, volume, the pickup city in China and the delivery address in Pakistan and we will confirm the applicable service, sailing or flight and the all-in cost: sales007@goodhopefreight.com.
