KARACHI, Feb 19: Six ships including a rice loader, Marine Trader, to load 13,000 tons of the commodity are due to arrive at the outer anchorage on Wednesday, according to KPT sources.

But ship movements at the wharves were relatively slow where five ships were berthed and sailed out, giving a lower berth occupancy owing to a considerable decline in arrivals of foreign flag vessels.

Two ships, Xing He and Bolan to unload and load containers were berthed after the sailing of three, including Bunga Mastiga, which departed after loading rice.

The ships, which departed included Ernst Rickmers, Bunga Mastiga and Gerd, while Malakand, Xing He, Wan Hai-233 and X-Press Dhaulagiri are due to sail out on Wednesday.

Owing to lesser handling of the liquid tonnage, the total tonnage fell to 34,288 tons comprising 16,680 tons of export cargo and 17,608 tons on import tonnage.

The following ships are due on Wednesday: MSC Lucky, Wan Hai-232, with containers, Marine Trader to load rice, Flam to offload 2,754 tons of rock phosphate, Jamila and Leixoes with general cargo.