Posted on July 1, 2026
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Karachi Port on Monday received one of the world’s largest container ships, a milestone that port authorities said highlighted the country’s growing ability to handle the latest generation of ultra-large cargo vessels and strengthen its role in global maritime trade.
The arrival of MSC Loreto, a nearly 400-meter-long container ship with a carrying capacity of 24,346 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), comes as Pakistan seeks to expand trade through investments in port infrastructure and modern terminal facilities.
The vessel belongs to the world’s largest class of container ships currently in operation.
“The arrival of MSC Loreto is another important milestone reflecting Karachi Port’s growing capacity and world-class port infrastructure,” the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said in a statement.
“It clearly demonstrates that Karachi Port now has the capability to safely and efficiently handle some of the world’s largest container ships.”
The Liberia-flagged vessel berthed at the South Asia Pakistan Terminals (SAPTL) facility carrying 3,802 TEUs destined for Karachi, while its total onboard cargo amounted to 14,538 TEUs, according to KPT.
KPT said the vessel’s arrival reflected continued investments in infrastructure, modern terminal facilities and operational efficiency, which it said would help promote Pakistan’s maritime trade and strengthen the country’s position in global shipping networks.
Container ships with capacities exceeding 20,000 TEUs are classified as ultra-large container vessels and can only be accommodated by ports with sufficient channel depth, berth length and crane capacity.
MSC Loreto is one of several sister ships sharing the current world-leading capacity of 24,346 TEUs.
