The maritime sector posted a record profit of Rs100 billion ($360 million) in 2025 after a year of sweeping reforms that improved port efficiency, reduced costs and cleared long-delayed policies aimed at positioning the country as a regional trade and logistics hub.

It was stated by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry in a statement on Saturday.

Outlining the ministry’s annual performance, Chaudhry described 2025 as a “transformative year” marked by more than two dozen initiatives spanning legislation, digitisation, infrastructure development and human resources.

“These reforms are modernising our ports, shipping and fisheries to unlock the true potential of the blue economy,” he said, adding that Pakistan had aligned its regulatory framework with international standards, including conventions of the International Maritime Organisation and the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling.

The minister stressed that a central plank of the overhaul was the finalisation of the National Maritime Policy, which brings shipping, ports, fisheries and maritime security under a single framework to guide sustainable growth. “The government also approved the National Shipping Policy aimed at expanding the Pakistan-flagged fleet to reduce reliance on foreign carriers, a longstanding drain on foreign exchange.”

Chaudhry said stakeholder consultations had been concluded on the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, which targets annual seafood exports of $2 billion and the creation of around two million jobs across coastal communities and allied industries. Operational performance at the country’s main ports improved markedly during the year, he mentioned. Karachi Port handled a record 54 million tonnes of cargo, while average vessel dwell time was slashed by 24 to 36 hours through close coordination among port authorities, customs and other agencies aimed at average turnaround of five days, in line with regional benchmarks.

Apart from that, cost-cutting measures delivered substantial savings. Reduced overtime at the Karachi Port Trust alone saved about Rs70 million a month, while the abolition of 2,152 redundant posts across maritime entities lowered human resources cost by billions of rupees.