Unitec Trade Line is a trusted freight forwarding company in Pakistan offering multi-modal logistics - sea, air and land - integrated with our customs clearance and import-export desks. Direct contracts with the major shipping lines and IATA carriers, NLC and bonded-carrier panels for Afghan Transit, GPS tracking on every leg, and ICC-A cargo insurance through Pakistan-licensed insurers.
Sea freight is the backbone of Pakistan's external trade - about 95% of total tonnage moves on water. We book sea freight on behalf of importers and exporters with direct contracts at Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, ONE, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd, Evergreen, COSCO and ZIM, plus consolidator agreements with the leading NVOCCs. We don't buy capacity in spot markets when relationships exist.
A full 20-foot or 40-foot container booked under your name. Best when your cargo fills (or nearly fills) a container - typically 12+ CBM for 20', 28+ CBM for 40' - or when goods cannot share space (temperature-sensitive, high-value, regulated). Container types we book:
Your cargo shares space with other shippers' goods inside a single container. Best for shipments below ~12 CBM. Charged per CBM or per tonne (whichever is greater - "weight or measure"). Typical sailings depart Karachi every 2–3 days for major destinations.
For wheeled cargo - vehicles, trucks, buses, agricultural and construction machinery, mobile cranes. RoRo vessels load through stern or side ramps, no crane required. Karachi Port handles RoRo via PICT and KICT terminals. Best for self-propelled units that would otherwise need flat-rack containers.
Illustrative ranges based on recent bookings. Actual rates fluctuate weekly with bunker prices, peak-season surcharges (PSS) and equipment availability. We provide written quotes valid for 7 days.
| Origin → Destination | Mode | Transit | Indicative Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi → Jebel Ali (UAE) | 20' FCL | 4–5 days | USD 350–550 |
| Karachi → Jebel Ali | LCL | 5–7 days | USD 25–35 / CBM |
| Karachi → Jeddah (KSA) | 20' FCL | 7–10 days | USD 450–700 |
| Karachi → Hamburg (DE) | 20' FCL | 28–35 days | USD 1,200–1,800 |
| Karachi → Hamburg | 40' HC FCL | 28–35 days | USD 1,800–2,800 |
| Karachi → Hamburg | LCL | 30–40 days | USD 60–90 / CBM |
| Karachi → Shanghai (CN) | 20' FCL | 18–22 days | USD 600–900 |
| Karachi → New York (US) | 40' HC FCL | 35–45 days | USD 3,200–4,800 |
| Karachi → Mombasa (KE) | 20' FCL | 12–16 days | USD 700–1,000 |
Surcharges to expect on top of base ocean freight: BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor), CAF (Currency Adjustment), origin and destination THC, ISPS, documentation fee, seal fee, port-congestion fee where applicable. Our written quotes are always all-in - what you see is what you pay.
For time-critical cargo or items where ocean transit is impractical (perishables, high-value electronics, urgent spares). Unitec books air freight via authorised IATA agents on every major carrier serving Pakistan: PIA, Emirates SkyCargo, Qatar Cargo, Etihad Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Saudia Cargo, FlyDubai, China Southern, Cathay Pacific.
Air freight is charged on chargeable weight = the higher of actual weight or volumetric weight (volume cm³ ÷ 6,000). 1 m³ of light cargo is charged at minimum 167 kg. Standard breaks where the per-kg rate steps down:
| Origin → Destination | Service | Transit | Rate per kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi → Dubai | Standard | 2–4 days | USD 1.20–1.80 |
| Karachi → Dubai | Express | 24–48 hrs | USD 2.50–3.50 |
| Karachi → London (LHR) | Standard | 3–5 days | USD 2.80–4.20 |
| Karachi → Frankfurt | Standard | 3–5 days | USD 2.60–4.00 |
| Karachi → New York (JFK) | Standard | 4–7 days | USD 4.50–6.50 |
| Sialkot → Riyadh | Charter | ~24 hrs | Quoted per aircraft |
Origin charges to budget on top of per-kg rate: AWB fee, ACS / DGR (dangerous-goods) fee where applicable, airport handling, security screening and fuel surcharge. We are DGR-trained for IATA Class 2–9 dangerous goods.
Pakistan's geography makes land freight central to two distinct flows: domestic distribution from ports to upcountry consignees, and the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) corridor that moves containerised cargo from Karachi to Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia.
| Route | Distance | 40' Container Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi → Lahore | ~1,200 km | PKR 280,000 – 360,000 |
| Karachi → Islamabad / Rawalpindi | ~1,400 km | PKR 320,000 – 400,000 |
| Karachi → Peshawar | ~1,700 km | PKR 380,000 – 460,000 |
| Karachi → Quetta | ~700 km | PKR 220,000 – 280,000 |
Add NHA permit fees for over-height / over-width loads, and an escort vehicle for ODC (out-of-dimension cargo).
NLC is Pakistan's largest logistics operator, government-owned, with the deepest fleet for heavy and project cargo - and the only operator with bonded transport authorisation across all major corridors. We book NLC for:
Pakistan-Afghanistan transit is governed by the Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA, 2010 with subsequent revisions) and the SROs that operationalise it. Cargo destined for Afghanistan moves under bond from Karachi / Port Qasim to one of two crossings:
Documentation required: ATT GD, bonded transit permission from Pakistan Customs, NLC or other approved bonded carrier, electronic seal, GPS tracking. Onward movement to Central Asia (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) is possible under separate transit agreements but adds 5–10 days and additional documentation.
For sensitive cargo (high-value, duty-deferred, in-bond movement, ATT) we use a panel of customs-approved bonded carriers. Each carrier has a customs bond posted, GPS-tracked vehicles, and a documented chain-of-custody from seal-on at origin to seal-off at destination customs. Bonded movements cost ~10–15% more than unbonded but are mandatory for ATT and recommended for any duty-deferred move.
Three layers of visibility, so you never have to chase us for a status:
Every shipment is linked to the carrier's tracking system using the master Bill of Lading (sea), House AWB (air) or carrier waybill (land). Standard milestones we surface back to you:
For every active shipment, our operations team sends a written status update once a day until delivery. Includes any anticipated delay, document status, customs query, or carrier event. Sent via WhatsApp Business or email - your choice. No hunting through portals.
Every truck movement booked through our preferred carriers is GPS-tracked. Live location accessible via a web link we share at dispatch. You can set geofence alerts for arrival at your gate - critical for high-value cargo and ATT bonded moves where deviation from declared route triggers customs penalties.
Clients with regular shipments can be onboarded to partner shipping line portals (Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM offer free shipper portals with API access) so you can track from your own systems - we help with portal setup at no charge. Every delivery completes with a signed POD (delivery note signed and stamped by consignee), photo of cargo at consignee location, and digital archival in our system. POD is shared within 24 hours and retained for 7 years per Pakistan record-keeping requirements.
Cargo in transit is exposed to perils - vessel grounding, fire, theft, water damage, mishandling, container loss overboard. International cargo insurance is not optional for serious shippers; it is a basic risk-management requirement.
Standard ICC-A excludes war and strikes - these need to be added back via Institute War Clauses and Institute Strikes Clauses. Always recommended for routes through the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and any port with active labour unrest.
Carriers' default liability under Hague-Visby (sea) or Montreal Convention (air) is capped at low SDR amounts per package or per kg - frequently below 10% of cargo value. Cargo insurance covers the gap. Don't rely on carrier liability alone.
We arrange marine and air cargo insurance via partner brokers with Pakistan-licensed insurers (EFU, Adamjee, Jubilee, IGI, TPL Direct), and via international syndicates for very large or specialty risks. Premium quoted at the same time as freight quote - one all-in number.
If something goes wrong, we manage the claim from documentation to settlement. Our team has settled claims from minor water damage to total loss; we handle survey reports, carrier protest letters, customs documentation and broker liaison - you don't have to learn marine insurance to recover your loss.
Trade documentation is layered - some is the shipper's responsibility, some sits with the consignee, and some is the freight forwarder's job. Knowing who does what prevents finger-pointing when a shipment is held.
| Document | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Master B/L & House B/L (sea) | Unitec - booked with carrier, issued to client |
| Master AWB & House AWB (air) | Unitec - booked with carrier, issued to client |
| Booking Confirmation, Cargo Manifest, Shipping Instructions | Unitec |
| Inland trucking booking, ATT bonded transport | Unitec |
| Goods Declaration on WeBOC / PSW | Unitec via customs clearance desk |
| Cargo insurance policy / certificate | Unitec via partner brokers |
| Tracking updates & POD | Unitec |
| Commercial Invoice, Packing List | Client / Supplier |
| Letter of Credit, EIF, Form-E | Client - via your bank |
| Certificate of Origin | Client / Supplier - from origin chamber of commerce |
| Product permits (PSQCA, DRAP, CE, FCC, PTA, Halal, Phyto) | Client - we advise upfront which apply |
| HS code classification | Co-handled - we recommend, you confirm |
| Duty / tax pre-estimate | Co-handled - we calculate, you fund |
| Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) | Co-handled - via our inspector or your nominated agency (SGS, BV, Intertek) |
A clean documentation set on day one means clean clearance on arrival day. Most "delays" we are asked to fix downstream trace back to a missing or inconsistent document at booking - which is why our standard process front-loads document review the moment booking is requested.
Indicative ocean rates Karachi to Jebel Ali (UAE) run approximately USD 350–550 for a 20' FCL with 4–5 day transit, or USD 25–35 per CBM on LCL with 5–7 day transit. Rates fluctuate weekly with bunker prices, peak-season surcharges and equipment availability - we issue written quotes valid for 7 days.
Karachi to Hamburg sea freight transit is typically 28–35 days port-to-port. Indicative rate ranges are USD 1,200–1,800 for a 20' FCL and USD 1,800–2,800 for a 40' high-cube. LCL takes 30–40 days at USD 60–90 per CBM.
ATT is governed by APTTA. Cargo destined for Afghanistan moves under bond from Karachi / Port Qasim to Torkham (primary, paved highway) or Chaman (secondary). You need an ATT GD, bonded transit permission, NLC or other approved bonded carrier, electronic seal, and GPS tracking. Onward movement to Central Asia is possible under separate agreements.
Marine and air cargo insurance under the standard Institute Cargo Clauses: ICC-A (all risks, broadest, ~0.15–0.40% of declared value), ICC-B (named perils, mid-tier) and ICC-C (basic). Institute War and Strikes clauses are added on top where the route warrants. Policies placed through Pakistan-licensed insurers (EFU, Adamjee, Jubilee, IGI, TPL Direct) or international syndicates for specialty risks.
Yes - we are IATA DGR-trained for air shipments of Class 2–9 dangerous goods (compressed gases, flammables, corrosives, lithium batteries, etc.) and book IMDG-compliant sea freight for the same. DG documentation, packaging compliance and shipper's declaration are handled in-house.
Yes for inbound shipments to Pakistan, where we own the full chain through to consignee delivery. For outbound DDP to foreign destinations, we partner with local agents in the destination country to handle import clearance and last-mile - possible for major destinations (UAE, KSA, UK, EU, US) but quoted case-by-case.
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