📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / USAID Pakistan
Business
Punjab Exporters Hit by Rising Logistics Costs Amid Global Tensions
✍️ Amar Ujala · Punjab
🗓 18 Aug 2026, 10:03 AM
👁 2
Global geopolitical tensions and disrupted sea routes have pushed logistics costs for Punjab exporters above 40%, creating a new challenge for the state's export‑based industries.
Global geopolitical tensions have disrupted key maritime routes, forcing exporters to seek alternative shipping lanes and pay higher freight rates. Punjab’s export‑based industries, which rely heavily on sea transport, have felt the pinch as logistics costs have surged beyond 40%.
The spike in freight and handling charges has increased the overall cost of goods, squeezing profit margins for manufacturers and traders across the state. Small and medium‑sized exporters, in particular, are struggling to absorb the added expense without raising prices for overseas buyers.
In response, many Punjab exporters are exploring diversified shipping routes and negotiating bulk contracts with logistics providers to mitigate cost hikes. Industry bodies are also urging the government to consider subsidies or tax relief for affected exporters.
While the situation remains fluid, the current trend suggests that the cost of exporting from Punjab will remain elevated until maritime routes stabilize and global tensions ease.
The spike in freight and handling charges has increased the overall cost of goods, squeezing profit margins for manufacturers and traders across the state. Small and medium‑sized exporters, in particular, are struggling to absorb the added expense without raising prices for overseas buyers.
In response, many Punjab exporters are exploring diversified shipping routes and negotiating bulk contracts with logistics providers to mitigate cost hikes. Industry bodies are also urging the government to consider subsidies or tax relief for affected exporters.
While the situation remains fluid, the current trend suggests that the cost of exporting from Punjab will remain elevated until maritime routes stabilize and global tensions ease.