The Karemma are one of the major economic powers of the Dominion within the Gamma Quadrant; powerful enough to be allowed a certain degree of freedom, the Karemma have traded with many non Dominion powers. Deeply concerned with profit, they saw an advantage in the marketing opportunities provided by the discovery of the Bajoran Wormhole in 2369. Fearing open trade with the Federation, the Karemma traded covertly via Ferengi intermediaries, a relationship successful despite Ferengi business practices.
During this time the Bajorans purchased four Karemma vessels for use as general purpose cargo ships. More purchases were planned, but the incresaing hostilities between the Federation and the Dominion eventually put a halt to trade through the wormhole.

These vessels are medium sized, and of relatively conventional design; utilizing standard warp drive technology, the ships house a small matter/antimatter reactor system in the rear section of the ship. This feeds a pair of strut mounted fixed geometry warp nacelles which provide the ships motive power.

Forward of the engineering section is a set of six relatively large cargo bays fitted to hold almost any form of merchandise; this section takes up almost the entire centre section of the ship, one third of the main hull or over 110 metres in all. Forward of the cargo section is the primary hull. This section houses the navigational deflectors, a modest shield system, a small hangar deck, and the relatively spartan accommodation section.

The original ships were not equipped with offensive weapons of any kind, but the Bajorans have fitted their ships with a pair of plasma cannon. These ships will never be able to compete in the combat arena with the likes of a starship; nevertheless, at least one of these ships took part in the Bajoran blockade against Romulan forces in their system during the Dominion war.