Pakistan has formally started trade through the Pakistan-Iran Transit Corridor. Pakistan’s Directorate General of Transit Trade announced this week that it has opened a new transit corridor through Iran and through this new route Pakistan has sent the first batch of shipments to Uzbekistan.

The Directorate General said in an official statement issued on Friday (April 10, 2026) that the first batch of the shipment was filled with frozen beef, which was sent to Uzbekistan via trucks from Karachi. This new route passes through the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing located between Pakistan and Iran. It was told that this shipment will go from Rimdan in Iran to Tashkent.

There are repeated obstacles on the way to Afghanistan

Pakistan has viewed Iran as an alternative trade corridor for exports to Central Asia as traditional land routes through Afghanistan have been repeatedly disrupted. In recent months, Pakistan has closed several key border crossings due to deadly border clashes with Afghanistan, affecting bilateral trade and limiting access to the landlocked Central Asian country.

The statement said, ‘Iran Corridor will help in connecting Karachi and Gwadar ports of Pakistan with Iran and Central Asian countries.’ It also said that Pakistan Customs and Commerce Ministries are working together to promote international transshipment through Pakistani ports. It also said, ‘Recently, Pakistan Customs has permitted storage facility for international transshipment cargo at the off-dock terminal, which will increase the existing handling capacity of the ports.’

Corridor will help in increasing activities at Karachi-Gwadar ports

The Directorate General of Transit Trade further said, ‘Border customs crossing points like Taftan, Rimdan, Sost and Gwadar have been enabled by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), Geneva, to facilitate movement of international road transit consignments from Pakistan. These steps will help in increasing activities at Karachi and Gwadar ports, facilitating international trade and strengthening transshipment infrastructure. Pakistan and regional countries will benefit economically from the increasing volume of international trade and regional connectivity.

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