Pakistan is a market of around 240 million people with virtually all of its seaborne trade funnelled through one city — while the industrial clusters that generate most of its export value sit 1,200 to 1,400 km north in Punjab. Every container moving in or out of upcountry Pakistan therefore carries a long domestic leg, and that leg is where cost, time and risk concentrate.
At IFN we connect businesses with vetted, independent freight forwarders worldwide through our global freight network. Our premium Pakistan members are listed first below — followed by the ports, customs and vetting detail you need to brief them properly.
IFN member freight forwarders in Pakistan
Cold-searching for a forwarder means trusting a website. Working through a freight network means working with companies screened before admission — for operating history, financial standing and reputation — and that have something to lose by underperforming. In a market where payment risk and counterparty reliability are recurring concerns for overseas partners, that vetting is worth more than usual.
IFN spans 93+ countries. Members are individually vetted, covered by our cargo payment protection programme against non-payment and insolvency, and they meet face to face each year at IFN Global Connect.
All three of our active Pakistani members are based in Sialkot — which is not the coincidence it first appears. Sialkot is one of the most remarkable export towns in the world: a mid-sized Punjabi city that supplies a very large share of global handmade footballs, and is a leading source of surgical and dental instruments, leather goods and sportswear. It sustains its own international airport, funded by local exporters, and a forwarding industry built specifically around getting high-value, time-sensitive manufactured goods to Western buyers.
At a glance
| Company | Established | Size | Branches | IFN status |
| Speedy Active Freight | 1991 | 11–50 | 5 | Founder Member |
| Pace Logistics | 2012 | 11–50 | 1 | Founder Member |
| VOCargo | 2022 | 1–10 | 1 | Member |
All three carry active cargo payment protection.
Speedy Active Freight
- Location: Suite 413–414, Al-Khalil Centre, Kashmir Road, Sialkot
- Established: 1991 — more than three decades in the market
- Company size: 11–50 employees
- Branches: 5 — the largest network of our Pakistani members
- Website: saf.com.pk
- IFN status: Founder Member
- Cargo payment protection: Active
- Services: air freight, sea freight, LCL, dangerous goods, warehousing, trucking, rail, customs clearance
Speedy Active Freight is the most established of the three, trading since 1991 and operating five branches — which in the Pakistani context typically means representation at Karachi and Lahore alongside the Sialkot base, covering the full length of the export corridor.
Their declared trade lanes are notably broad on the export side: Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Poland, the UAE, the United Kingdom and the United States. That is a genuinely global outbound footprint rather than a concentration on one or two markets, and it suggests consolidated experience across very different documentary and compliance regimes.
Pace Logistics
- Location: Al Khalil Centre, 3rd Floor, Office 416, Kashmir Road, Sialkot 51310
- Established: 2012
- Company size: 11–50 employees
- Website: pacelogs.com
- IFN status: Founder Member
- Cargo payment protection: Active
- Services: wide declared range — air, sea, LCL, dangerous goods, warehousing, customs clearance, rail, project and time-critical categories
- Export lanes: Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, United States
- Import lanes: China, Germany, United Kingdom
Pace Logistics is one of the few Pakistani forwarders in the network with declared inbound lanes as well as outbound — imports from China, Germany and the UK alongside a European and North American export book. For an overseas partner needing two-way capability rather than export-only handling, that matters.
In their own words: “PACE LOGISTICS is a dynamic freight forwarder & logistics company in Pakistan … As a service provider, we see ourselves as a partner who is responsible for the planning and optimum flow of the logistics chain.”
VOCargo
- Location: Kashmir Mall, Kashmir Road, China Chowk, Sialkot
- Established: 2022
- Company size: 1–10 employees
- Website: vocargo.com
- Cargo payment protection: Active
- Services: air, sea, LCL, dangerous goods, warehousing, rail, project and specialist handling categories
VOCargo is the newest of the three, founded in 2022 and operating as a compact commercially-led team from the Kashmir Road corridor — the same street that hosts most of Sialkot’s forwarding community. Worth considering where you want a small, responsive team and direct contact with decision-makers rather than an account-management layer.
Which member fits your shipment?
| If you need… | Consider |
| The longest operating history and widest branch coverage | Speedy Active Freight |
| Export lanes to Japan, Brazil, Canada or Oceania | Speedy Active Freight |
| Two-way capability — imports as well as exports | Pace Logistics |
| European export lanes (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Czechia) | Pace Logistics |
| Project or time-critical handling | Pace Logistics or VOCargo |
| A small, hands-on team with direct principal contact | VOCargo |
| Surgical instruments, sports goods or leather from Sialkot | Any of the three — this is their core market |
Need coverage in Karachi, Lahore or Faisalabad specifically, or a specialist for a commodity none of these handle? Contact our team and we will point you to the right member. Become part of the innovative freight network to get full access to our freight forwarder member directory.
Before you brief any Pakistani forwarder, it is worth understanding how the port and upcountry corridor works, what WeBOC and the Pakistan Single Window require, and which questions separate a competent partner from an expensive one. The rest of this guide covers exactly that.
What a freight forwarder in Pakistan handles
A forwarder is not a carrier. They buy transport capacity in volume, resell it, and manage everything around it. In Pakistan the surrounding work covers:
- Booking ocean or air capacity on services calling Karachi and Port Qasim — most of which transship via Colombo, Jebel Ali or Salalah
- Customs clearance — Goods Declarations filed through WeBOC and the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) platform
- Coordination with a licensed customs clearing agent at the port of entry or exit
- Export documentation — including the Electronic Import Form (EIF) and Electronic Form-E (EFE) required under State Bank of Pakistan foreign exchange rules
- Duty and tax calculation — customs duty, additional customs duty, regulatory duty, sales tax, and advance income tax
- Upcountry trucking and bonded movement — the 1,200–1,400 km corridor between Punjab and Karachi
- Dry port handling — including Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan
- Warehousing, consolidation and export packing
- Cargo insurance placement
For the role explained from the ground up, see our complete guide to international freight forwarders.
Pakistan’s ports, airports and dry ports
Seaports
| Port | Location | Best for |
| Karachi Port (PKKHI) | Karachi, Sindh | Pakistan’s principal port — the majority of container traffic; widest carrier coverage and service frequency |
| Port Qasim (PKBQM) | Karachi, Sindh | Second major gateway — containers, bulk, automotive, industrial and energy cargo |
| Gwadar (PKGWD) | Balochistan | Deep-water port developed under CPEC. Strategically significant but currently handling limited commercial container volume — verify actual service availability before planning around it |
Airports
| Airport | Location | Best for |
| Jinnah International (KHI) | Karachi | Largest air cargo gateway; widest international freighter and bellyhold capacity |
| Allama Iqbal International (LHE) | Lahore | Punjab air cargo — textiles, garments, urgent consignments |
| Sialkot International (SKT) | Sialkot | Privately funded by local exporters — direct air capacity for surgical instruments, sports goods and leather |
| Islamabad International (ISB) | Islamabad | Northern Pakistan, government and project-linked cargo |
Dry ports
Pakistan’s dry ports at Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan are more important than they are in most countries. They allow customs clearance to be completed upcountry rather than at Karachi, with cargo moving under bond between the seaport and the inland terminal. For an exporter in Punjab this can remove days from the process and reduce the risk of demurrage accruing at a congested Karachi terminal. Ask your forwarder whether dry port clearance suits your shipment — it frequently does, and it is routinely overlooked by overseas parties arranging shipments from outside Pakistan.
The corridor is the cost. Karachi to Sialkot or Lahore is roughly 1,200–1,400 km by road, and for most Punjab-based exporters the domestic leg is a substantial share of total logistics cost — as well as the part most exposed to delay. Any quote that does not state the inland arrangement explicitly is incomplete.
Indicative ocean transit times from Karachi
| Destination | Typical port-to-port |
| Jebel Ali (Dubai) | 3–6 days |
| Singapore | 12–18 days |
| Shanghai / Ningbo | 20–28 days |
| Jeddah | 8–14 days |
| Rotterdam / Hamburg | 22–30 days |
| Genoa / Barcelona | 18–26 days |
| New York | 28–38 days |
Indicative only. Most Pakistani services transship — commonly via Colombo, Jebel Ali or Salalah — and the relay point can swing transit by a week or more. Red Sea routing conditions have also materially affected Europe-bound services, with some carriers diverting around the Cape of Good Hope. Always confirm the actual string, routing and surcharges on your quote.
Pakistani customs: WeBOC, PSW and the documentation that matters
Pakistan has digitised customs substantially over the past decade. WeBOC handles Goods Declarations, and the Pakistan Single Window consolidates regulatory approvals across agencies. The system works — but it is unforgiving of incomplete data, and the foreign-exchange documentation layer is unfamiliar to most overseas shippers.
The foreign exchange layer — EIF and EFE
This is the requirement that most surprises people, because it has no equivalent in most countries.
Pakistan operates exchange controls administered by the State Bank of Pakistan, and trade documentation is tied directly to them:
- EIF (Electronic Import Form) — required for imports. It links the transaction to a bank and authorises the outward remittance of payment. Without a registered EIF, an import cannot clear
- EFE (Electronic Form-E) — required for exports. It commits the exporter to repatriating the proceeds through the banking channel within a defined period
Why this matters to you as an overseas counterparty: these forms tie the physical shipment to the payment. Mismatches between the invoice value on the EIF or EFE and the value declared to customs cause holds, and unresolved outstanding forms create problems for your Pakistani counterparty’s ability to trade. If you are buying from Pakistan, expect your supplier to be precise about invoice values and payment terms — this is why.
What else you need in place
- NTN and Sales Tax Registration — and WeBOC/PSW credentials for the trading entity
- A licensed customs clearing agent — required in practice for commercial consignments
- Correct PCT classification — the Pakistan Customs Tariff code. It determines duty, regulatory duty and whether an import is restricted
- Import Policy Order compliance — Pakistan restricts or conditions a range of imports; check status before ordering
- Certificate of origin — particularly for GSP+ shipments to the EU, where it determines duty-free access
- Regulatory approvals where applicable — DRAP for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, PSQCA for standards-regulated goods, Department of Plant Protection for agricultural consignments
- ISPM 15 treated wood packaging
GSP+ is worth understanding if you buy from Pakistan. Under the EU’s GSP+ arrangement, a large share of Pakistani exports enter the European Union at zero duty, subject to origin rules and the scheme’s conditionality. If you are importing Pakistani textiles, leather goods or surgical instruments into the EU, confirm that your supplier can issue valid origin documentation under the scheme — the duty difference is substantial.
What it costs
| Charge | What it is | Notes |
| Customs duty | On assessed value under the Pakistan Customs Tariff | Varies widely by PCT heading |
| Additional customs duty / regulatory duty | Supplementary duties on many categories | Frequently applied to finished consumer goods |
| Sales tax | On imports | Standard rate applies at import stage |
| Advance income tax | Withheld at import | Adjustable against the importer’s tax liability |
| Clearing agent fee | Per Goods Declaration | Varies |
| Port and terminal charges | THC, documentation, storage | Karachi congestion can drive storage costs |
| Upcountry trucking | Karachi to Punjab | 1,200–1,400 km — a major cost line |
Two practical notes. First, Pakistani import duties on finished consumer goods are deliberately high, with regulatory duty layered on top to protect domestic manufacturing and manage the current account. Verify the full duty stack for your PCT code before pricing anything — the headline customs duty rate is rarely the whole figure.
Second, demurrage and detention at Karachi are a real risk. Terminal congestion, documentary queries and the long inland leg combine to consume free time quickly. Confirm your free days, the daily rate, and whether dry port clearance would move the container out of the port faster.
How to vet a freight forwarder in Pakistan
Whether you are speaking to one of the IFN members above or a forwarder you found elsewhere, ask these questions.
- “Are you licensed with the FBR / Pakistan Customs, and are you a PIFFA member?” The Pakistan International Freight Forwarders Association is the recognised industry body. Licensing and association membership are basic filters.
- “Do you have your own WeBOC and PSW access, or do you work through an agent?” Either is workable, but you need to know who files and who carries the liability.
- “Can you clear at a dry port rather than Karachi?” For Punjab-based cargo this frequently saves both time and demurrage exposure, and a forwarder who does not raise it may not be optimising for you.
- “Quote me the full door-to-door cost including the upcountry leg.” The Karachi–Punjab corridor is too significant to leave as “to be confirmed”.
- “Are you AEO certified with Pakistan Customs?” Pakistan operates an Authorized Economic Operator programme. Certification means faster processing and fewer examinations.
- “How do you handle EIF / Form-E, and what do you need from my side?” A forwarder who is vague about the foreign exchange documentation is not going to manage it well.
- “What is your experience with my commodity and destination?” Surgical instruments to Germany and rice to the Gulf are not the same business.
- “Which network do you belong to?” IFN, WCA, FIATA. Network membership means a third party vetted them financially, and — importantly in this market — there is a payment protection and dispute mechanism. You can check ours in the IFN member directory.
Red flags: rates dramatically below market, no verifiable NTN, reluctance to name their clearing agent, upcountry haulage left unquoted, no cargo insurance option, or payment requested to a personal account rather than a company bank account.
Frequently asked questions
How long does customs clearance take in Pakistan?
A clean Goods Declaration through WeBOC with complete documentation and no regulatory referral is often processed within one to three working days. Delays typically come from valuation disputes, examination, incomplete EIF documentation or PSW referrals to another agency. Clearing at a dry port rather than at Karachi can reduce time-in-port considerably for upcountry cargo.
What is WeBOC and the Pakistan Single Window?
WeBOC is Pakistan Customs’ electronic clearance system, through which Goods Declarations are filed. The Pakistan Single Window is the broader platform integrating customs with other regulatory agencies, so approvals can be obtained through one interface. Your forwarder or clearing agent files through these systems on your behalf.
What is Form-E and do I need to worry about it?
Electronic Form-E is the export declaration required under State Bank of Pakistan exchange control rules — it commits the exporter to repatriating payment through the banking channel. If you are buying from Pakistan, it is your supplier’s obligation rather than yours, but it explains why Pakistani exporters are precise about invoice values and payment routes. Value mismatches between the Form-E and the customs declaration cause problems.
Should I ship through Karachi Port or Port Qasim?
Karachi Port generally has the widest carrier coverage and service frequency. Port Qasim handles substantial container volume alongside bulk, automotive and industrial cargo, and is sometimes less congested. Your forwarder should choose based on your carrier, cargo type and current terminal conditions rather than habit.
Can I use Gwadar port?
Gwadar is a deep-water port developed under CPEC with significant strategic importance, but commercial container service remains limited compared with Karachi and Port Qasim. Before planning a shipment around Gwadar, confirm with your forwarder that a suitable service actually calls there and that inland connectivity to your destination exists.
Why is Sialkot significant for freight forwarding?
Sialkot is one of the world’s most concentrated export manufacturing clusters — a major global source of handmade footballs, surgical and dental instruments, leather goods and sportswear. Local exporters even funded the construction of Sialkot International Airport. That has produced a specialised forwarding industry focused on moving high-value, time-sensitive manufactured goods to European and North American buyers.
Do you have members on other trade lanes?
Yes — IFN covers 93+ countries. If you are working Gulf or European lanes from Pakistan, see our guides to freight forwarders in Saudi Arabia and freight forwarders in Italy, or simply contact our team with your origin and destination.
Are you a freight forwarder in Pakistan?
If your company provides freight forwarding or customs clearing services in Pakistan, IFN offers a direct route to cargo referrals from vetted independent forwarders across 93+ countries — backed by cargo payment protection and an annual conference where the relationships actually get built. For Pakistani forwarders in particular, the payment protection programme addresses one of the most common obstacles to winning overseas agency business: giving foreign partners confidence in the counterparty.
We are actively expanding coverage in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad alongside our established Sialkot membership.
Review the full list of inclusions on our membership benefits page, compare options on our membership plans page, explore our member tools and resources, or read more on the frieght and logistics industry blog.
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