Ministry of Commerce Seeks Action Over Additional Cargo Charges on Meat Exports

KARACHI: The Ministry of Commerce has formally sought the intervention of aviation authorities over complaints from meat exporters regarding additional logistics charges imposed on export consignments. This development marks a significant step in an ongoing dispute that industry representatives warn could disrupt Pakistan’s meat exports.

In an official letter dated March 17, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce asked the Director General of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) in Karachi to look into the issue of “unauthorized additional charges” reportedly being levied by cargo handling company Gerry’s Dnata on meat export shipments.

The communication followed a complaint submitted by the All Pakistan Meat Exporters and Processors Association (APMEPA), which raised concerns that the newly imposed charges were increasing export costs and affecting the industry’s competitiveness in international markets. According to exporters, Gerry’s Dnata recently introduced an additional charge of PKR 50 per kilogram on meat exports and warned that consignments would not be processed for shipment unless the payment was made.

Industry representatives say the additional levy translates into roughly $180 per ton, a cost escalation that could significantly impact exporters operating in highly competitive global markets. Officials in the Ministry of Commerce noted in the letter that the Prime Minister’s Committee on Export of Surplus Food Items to GCC Countries had been informed during a meeting on March 15 that the additional charges had already been withdrawn.

However, exporters maintain that the issue has not been fully resolved and that the charges are still being applied in practice, prompting the Ministry to ask the aviation regulator to examine the matter and resolve it to the satisfaction of exporters. The Ministry has also asked that the committee be updated on the outcome of the inquiry.

Exporters warn that continued uncertainty around cargo handling costs could disrupt shipments of perishable meat products, which rely heavily on tightly managed cold-chain logistics and air cargo operations. Pakistan’s meat export sector has expanded steadily over the past decade, supplying halal meat to key markets across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region as well as Southeast Asia and parts of Africa.

Industry stakeholders say maintaining predictable logistics costs is essential to sustaining this growth, particularly as Pakistan competes with established exporters such as Brazil and Australia in global meat markets. Exporters have urged authorities to ensure that cargo handling charges remain transparent and regulated, arguing that sudden and unilateral cost increases could undermine the country’s export competitiveness at a time when Pakistan is seeking to boost foreign exchange earnings through higher value-added food exports.