The first shipment of 52,000 tons of urea, imported by the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), will reach Gwadar port on Friday. In July this year, the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet had directed the TCP to import urea on an urgent basis aimed at ensuring sufficient urea supply during upcoming crop season.
The TCP was asked to import 0.3 million tons of urea to avoid any shortage in the domestic market, which is facing some shortfall due to slow production by the local fertiliser producerrs because of gas curtailment Following the directives of the ECC, TCP successfully awarded tenders to the three different parties for the import of the said quantity. First consignment under this import is reaching here on Friday, 2013 from China, sources said.
As per schedule given by the supplier, the first ship namely “MV Global Brave” carrying about 52,000 tons of urea will reach Gwadar port on Friday evening. The ship has already sailed from China for Pakistan. Another shipment is scheduled to arrive on September 12, 2013 from China.
Besides import of urea from international market, the TCP is also importing the commodity from Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) against $100 million credit grant of Saudi Fund for Development. Under the credit facility so far some 164,000 tons of urea has reached Pakistan, while remaining some 40,000 will arrive till December 2013.
