Pakistan: Long waiting period for vessels at Qasim Port

A long queue of thermal coal vessels at Qasim port in Pakistan has led to a waiting period of 10 days on average. The reason can be attributed to more than expected vessel arrivals, especially from South Africa, market participants informed. CoalMint data shows that around seven thermal coal ships are at anchorage position, while two are at berth at the port. These vessels were booked when South African coal prices started to rise in the first week of Jun’21. Pakistan’s cement and power sectors are the key buyers of South African coal.