Pakistan expands Gwadar logistics with first international bunkering and new land corridors to Iran

Pakistan has inaugurated its first international ship bunkering operation at Gwadar Port. The National Logistics Corporation, in partnership with global trader Vitol, supplied 2,500 metric tonnes of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil to the LNG carrier ENUGU. The fuel, produced domestically by Cnergyico PK Limited, meets the International Maritime Organization’s latest environmental standards and marks the launch of commercial marine fuel services at the deep‑sea port, positioning Gwadar as a regional refueling hub and boosting the country’s blue‑economy revenues.

In parallel, the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce formalised six overland road corridors linking the ports of Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar with Iran’s Gabd and Taftan border crossings. Effective April 2026, these routes provide faster, cheaper alternatives for third‑country cargo, bypassing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and offering landlocked Central Asian states diversified access to warm‑water ports. The corridors build on a 2008 Pakistan‑Iran transport agreement and aim to strengthen Gwadar’s role in regional trade and logistics.