Govt Bans More Import Items for Afghanistan Passing Through Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan has notified a new list of items that Afghanistan cannot import through Pakistani sea and border ports under the Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement. The banned items are tyres, black tea, nuts and dry fruits, fabrics, cosmetics, vacuum flasks and home appliances. The commerce ministry issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) to amend the order of 2004 on import and export. According to a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) 1397(I)2023, the banned items comprise tyres, vacuum flasks, fabrics with 17 different HS Codes, 3 types of black tea, 14 cosmetics and toiletries, 12 types of nuts and fruits, and 59 types of home appliance completely built units (CBUs). The Ministry of Commerce has also permitted transportation of fabrics, tyres, black tea, cosmetics and toiletries nuts and fruits, vacuum flasks and home appliances CBUs to Afghanistan which landed at Karachi prior to the imposition of the ban. The SRO stated that in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950(XXXIX of 1950), the Federal Government has issued the new SROs which states that the items i.e. fabrics, tyres, black tea, cosmetics and toiletries and nuts and fruits, vacuum flask and home appliances CBUs which have already been imported will be allowed to be transported to Afghanistan. Commerce Ministry’s SRO added that “provided that the new measures under S.No.2A to 2 G shall be subject to the following conditions namely (i) they shall not apply to the transit cargo already arrived at Pakistani airports. The cargo at high seas shall have the option for re-export upon arrival at Pakistani ports and (ii) they shall not be applicable on the transit cargo meant for foreign grant-in-aid to Afghanistan.