The 250 or so containers that were held in the port from the end of December 2022 to the beginning of January had caused the price of tea to increase by Rs 200 per kilogram.
Data show that the importers’ difficulties in unloading their containers led to a spike in black tea (loose) costs of Rs 200 to Rs 1,800 per kg.
In a statement, the importers claimed that about 250 containers were still at the port after arriving between late December 2022 and early January, and an additional 250 containers were en route to Karachi.
In a crisis alert, the importers warned that the price of tea during Ramadan could reach Rs 2,500 per kg if the held-up consignments were not released.