In a ground-breaking move, Pakistani mangoes are set to be transported to Xinjiang, China via a land route this year. Tayyab Khan, CEO of logistics company Sadequain Shipping Line, revealed in an interview with China Economic Net (CEN) that the plan is to export mangoes to Xinjiang starting from June 10th.

Following the successful shipment of the first land containerised seafood cargo from Karachi to Kashgar last week, the Karachi-based logistics enterprise will now focus on transporting Chaunsa mangoes from the major mango-producing city of Multan to Tashkurgan via the Karakoram Highway. From there, the mangoes will be distributed to various cities in Xinjiang.

“We have some customers who need to export 2000 tonnes of mangoes to Kashgar and Urumqi, but once it starts, I hope they will export more,” said Khan, expressing optimism about the potential growth of mango exports.

To ensure the quality and freshness of the mangoes during transportation, refrigerated containers will be used, providing a temperature-controlled environment ranging from -20 to 25 degrees Celsius. The logistics company CEO emphasised that this range is suitable for various commodities, including vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, and chicken.

The journey from Multan to Tashkurgan, including customs clearance time in Sost and Tashkurgan, is estimated to take approximately six days. In addition to mangoes, cherries from Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region are also expected to make their debut in Xinjiang. Khan revealed that preparations, such as arranging vehicles and containers, are already underway to accommodate the export of cherries.

Sadequain Shipping Line is planning to expand its operations to other parts of China, particularly Guangzhou and Shenzhen, by diverting cargo through land routes. The CEO expressed the company’s eagerness to collaborate with good logistics companies in China for this purpose and mentioned his upcoming trip to China to develop the new route.

THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE CHINA ECONOMIC NET

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2023.

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