By Asad Cheema
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Rwanda have discussed strengthening bilateral trade through maritime-linked corridors connecting Karachi Port with key East African ports in a bid to boost access to regional markets and reduce shipping costs.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and Rwandan Ambassador Harerimana Fatou, who called on the minister at his office.
Junaid Chaudhry said Pakistan plans to establish direct maritime trade corridors from Karachi to strategic logistics hubs such as Djibouti and Mumbasa which serves as a major transshipment and logistics center providing access to East African Community (EAC) countries, including Rwanda.
“The initiative involves opening a direct shipping line from Karachi to Djibouti, substantially reducing transit times and shipping costs by bypassing intermediate ports while enabling smoother onward transport to neighboring ports such as Mombasa,” the minister said.
He added that Pakistan is also working to develop Gwadar Port into a specialized export hub focused on trade with Africa, particularly East Africa. Located on the Arabian Sea, Gwadar’s strategic position is expected to enhance Pakistan’s port capacity and connectivity to major Indian Ocean trade routes.
Junaid Chaudhry noted that Rwanda, as a landlocked country, could leverage East African ports as gateways for imports and exports, thanks to established inland road and railway connections linking the ports to Rwanda and other EAC nations.
In terms of trade composition, Rwanda exports tea, coffee, avocados, pulses, and other horticultural goods to Pakistan, while Pakistan exports pharmaceuticals, textiles, surgical instruments, electric bikes, tractors, mobile phones, and agricultural technologies to Rwanda.
The minister said the creation of direct maritime corridors would lower logistics costs, speed up deliveries, and improve export competitiveness, while also encouraging business-to-business cooperation through trade forums between Pakistan and EAC countries.
Both governments expressed economic support for expanding access to new markets across the EAC’s 500 million-strong consumer base, whose combined GDP exceeds $300 billion.
The minister said enhanced connectivity through Pakistan’s maritime infrastructure and East Africa’s key ports is expected to spur economic growth and deepen trade ties between Pakistan and Rwanda.
