Gwadar still on track despite bomb blast

Danish Ambassador H.E Jakob Linulf and APM Terminals CEO Keith Svendsen met Pakistani officials to discuss port investments and logistics collaboration.

The Pakistani Government’s decision to finally grant the port of Gwadar and its free trade zone a 23-year tax holiday should boost investment
levels and lead to substantially more cargo being processed.

A new on dock-rail service connects Karachi and Lahore.

The country’s position on China’s ‘Belt and Road’ map is driving investment in the region

As this edition of WorldCargo News was going to press, it was reported that Pakistan has approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for as much as US$10-12B in bailout loans – nearly double the US$6.7B IMF loan it received in the 2013 – to avert another balance of payments crisis.

Bulgaria’s two largest ports, Varna and Bourgas, are expected to post relatively strong growth in their cargo throughputs this year, as both container and dry bulk volumes increase. But both ports need to modernise their infrastructure if their medium-term and long-term goals to compete as gateways to the Balkans and Central Europe are to be realised.