The Ministry of Industry and Trade has urged businesses to strengthen market risk assessments, diversify shipping routes and delivery terms and reduce reliance on high-risk transit corridors. — Photo vietnamplus.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Industry and Trade has launched urgent diplomatic efforts with Pakistani authorities to resolve a disruption at Karachi port, where nearly 500 containers of Vietnamese tea have been stranded after Pakistani transport and trucking associations suspended operations.

The strike was organised to protest new government policies on vehicle penalties and tighter driver regulations, halting truck movements and cutting off the main land transport route between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to Việt Nam’s Trade Office in Pakistan, the disruption has caused severe congestion at Pakistan’s largest port, with around 11,000 containers bound for Afghanistan trapped alongside about 25,000 import containers and 15,000 export containers belonging to Pakistani businesses.

Most Vietnamese tea shipments are transported to Afghanistan via transhipment through Karachi, leaving exporters facing mounting storage costs and heightened risks as the transport standstill continues.

Vietnamese officials have held direct talks with Pakistan's Minister of Commerce and other senior trade officials requesting special consideration for Vietnamese cargo given the bilateral trade relationship.

The ministry said it is closely monitoring the situation and working daily with Pakistani counterparts to protect the legitimate interests of Vietnamese enterprises.

Authorities are pursuing three potential solutions with Pakistani officials – allowing stuck containers to proceed to Afghanistan once security and transport conditions permit, approving re-export to third markets, or permitting re-importation to Việt Nam as a last resort to minimise business losses.

The prolonged delays have forced Vietnamese tea exporters to absorb substantial loan repayments and livelihoods of domestic tea farmers, the ministry noted.

Officials advised exporters to coordinate closely with the Vietnam Tea Association and the trade office in Pakistan while reviewing contract terms and exploring alternative logistics arrangements. The ministry urged businesses to strengthen market risk assessments and diversify shipping routes to reduce dependence on high-risk transit corridors. — VNS