Check If a Ship Is on Karachi Port's Blacklist Before You Book Cargo
Karachi Port Trust lists 167 blacklisted vessels, and 15 IMO numbers repeat under new names. Check a ship by IMO number in five steps before you book cargo.
Short answer: Open kpt.gov.pk, go to Shipping Intelligence and choose Blacklisted Vessels. Search the ship's IMO number, not only its name. On 12 October 2026 the list held 167 entries under three columns: serial number, IMO number and vessel name. The page does not say why a ship is listed.
A ship's name is easy to change. Its seven digit IMO number stays the same for life. That is why a buyer, importer or freight booker who only checks the name can be fooled by a renamed vessel.
We opened the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Blacklisted Vessels page on 12 October 2026. It showed "Updated on Monday, 12 October 2026". We counted the rows ourselves and compared the numbers. We did not contact KPT, so we cannot tell you the reason for any entry.
The KPT blacklist is a public table of 167 vessels
The page is a plain table with three columns: SNO, IMO NO and Vessel Name. Entry 1 is AN SAN 1 with IMO 7303803. Entry 167 is a vessel shown as "Galaxy.." with IMO 9162332. There is no date of listing and no reason column.
| What the page shows | What we counted on 12 October |
|---|---|
| Rows in the table | 167 |
| Different IMO numbers | 143 |
| IMO numbers used more than once | 15, covering 39 rows |
| Rows with no valid IMO number | 1 (entry 41) |
The same IMO number appears under different names
Fifteen IMO numbers appear on more than one row, under different names. IMO 8909575 appears three times, as BLUE NOUVELLE, GREENLIGHT and CHONG BONG. IMO 8405270 also appears three times. That points to ships that changed their names.
So a name search can miss a listed ship. Search the IMO number first, and then the name. If your shipping agent gives you only a name, ask for the IMO number before you pay for the booking.
The page has gaps you should know about
Entry 41 shows the words "Does Not Exit" in place of an IMO number, next to the name MIN NING DE YOU 078. Entry 167 is cut off with two dots after the name. These look like data entry errors on the page.
Spelling is another trap. Some names carry numbers or spaces, such as HAO FAN 2 and HAO FAN 6, which are two different ships. Match the whole name and the IMO number together, and do not stop at the first partial match.
The list gives no reason and no date. A ship's presence here does not tell you whether the cause was a safety fault, a sanction or an unpaid bill. We could not find a KPT page that explains the criteria. Ask KPT in writing if the reason matters to your case.
How to check a ship against the list in five steps
You need the ship's name and, better, its IMO number. The IMO number is printed on the bill of lading or can be asked from the shipping line. The check takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
- Get the ship's name and IMO number from your agent or the bill of lading.
- Open kpt.gov.pk, then Shipping Intelligence, then Blacklisted Vessels.
- Use your browser's find tool (Ctrl and F) to search for the IMO number.
- Search the name too, in case the number is written wrongly on the list.
- If you find a match, stop and ask the agent and KPT before the cargo moves.
What to do next if the ship is listed or the answer is unclear
A listed ship is a warning, not a verdict you can read from the table. Put the match in writing to your agent. Ask which other vessel can carry the cargo and what it costs, so a delay does not become a penalty.
Once you know the ship is fine, follow its movement on the Karachi Port Trust arrivals pages. Late cargo can bring a charge, and contesting an overstayed cargo penalty in WeBOC shows how to answer one. Direct European sailings returned recently, as we noted in the direct Karachi to Europe service.
Common questions
Is the KPT blacklist official?
Yes. It sits on kpt.gov.pk, the Karachi Port Trust website, and was marked as updated on 12 October 2026.
Why is a ship blacklisted?
The page does not say. It lists only a serial number, an IMO number and a vessel name, so the reason has to be asked from KPT.
Can a ship change its name and get off the list?
The IMO number stays with the ship, and the list repeats some numbers under several names. That suggests renamed ships are caught. Always search by IMO number.
Does a listed ship mean my cargo is unsafe?
Not necessarily. The page does not state the cause, so a listing alone does not describe the cargo. It is a reason to ask questions before the cargo moves.
How often is the list updated?
We saw it marked as updated on the day we opened it. We could not find a stated schedule, so check the date at the top of the page each time.
Where do I find an IMO number?
It is on the bill of lading and in the ship's papers, and your shipping line can give it. It has seven digits, such as 9162332.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 12 October 2026. We read the Karachi Port Trust Blacklisted Vessels page and counted its 167 rows. The counts of different and repeated IMO numbers are our own arithmetic. We found no stated reason or criteria on the page.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
