Import Pakistan

Customs Clearance Introduction Under Import-Pakistan

Shipments may be received at either sea, airport or dry port declared by customs authorities as customs ports, customs air port and land customs station.

Procedure for Customs Clearance in Import Pakistan:

Procedure for customs clearance under Import-Pakistan comprises of the following three steps:

  Import Pakistan Customs Clearance Under PACCS:

Salient features of PACCS are as follows:

No Geographical Limits:

Under PACCS an importer is liberated of geography. You can file Goods Declarations from the HQ in Islamabad, pay duties from a branch office at an online bank in Lahore and clear your goods for a factory in Karachi.

PACCS Philosophy Under Import Pakistan:

Only stop the suspect. Customs work is phased in the following manner:
1. Pre-arrival work
2. Work while the goods are at the port
3. Work after the goods have been released
Goods are required at the port only where physical examination is needed; all other Customs work can be completed either before arrival of goods or finalized after the goods have been released.

Pre-arrival Goods Declaration Related to Import Pakistan:

Advanced filing of electronic Goods declaration 10 days prior to arrival of cargo, no permissions required.

Pre-arrival Processing of Cargo Related to Import Pakistan:

Cargo and vessel details are acquired electronically from the carriers at least 24 hours prior to the arrival of vessel. Risk Management System screens the cargo declaration and segregates high risk from low risk cargo. Transit and transshipment consignments are identified. Major amendments to the manifest are completed electronically by the time the vessel arrives.

Cargo declaration is electronically transmitted to the terminal operator to unload cargo according to the manifest.

Procedure after Arrival of Vessel:

Non-risky cargo for which GD has been filed in advance is released. Transshipment cargo is released to bonded carriers for carriage upcountry. There is no requirement for filing of TP requests under PACCS. High risk cargo as communicated to the terminal operator is brought straight away to the examination areas and examination commences.

Goods Declaration Filing & Processing for Import Pakistan:

Electronic Goods Declaration:

No documents are required.

Declarations are filed from your office over the web any where in the country. Customs Reference Number (machine number) is instantly allotted online. The Risk Management System processes your Declaration. In case the Declaration is found to be non-risky, your cargo is released and both you and the terminal operator are informed online by PACCS. The process takes less than ten seconds.

You are free to file Goods Declarations either yourself or through your agent, the choice is purely your own. In case the Declaration is deemed risky by the Risk Management System, it will be allotted to a Customs official for scrutiny and you will be asked online for clarifications or asked for specific documents to support your Declaration.

Pakistan Customs Examination Process for Import Items in Pakistan:

Pakistan Customs already has examination reports for risky consignments. Where consignments were deemed risky, they were grounded by the terminal operator and examined by Customs on arrival of the vessel and the report fed into PACCS.

Payment of Taxes/Duties

PACCS is a self-assessment system where you pay your taxes yourself without interference by Customs before filing a declaration to Customs. You pay your duties anywhere in the country, all you need is to remember your BL number.

Determination of Value
PACCS proceeds by the book, the only value accepted under PACCS is transactional value ascertained as per the GATT code.

Dispute over Value:
There is a formal mechanism for review of values ascertained by the assessing staff. This is called the First Review. In case you are not satisfied with the first review, there is a second review before the Assistant Collector. The Assistant Collector in the second review gives formal written orders. Orders by the Assistant Collector are appealable before Collector Appeals. Orders of Collector Appeals are appealable before the Appellate tribunal.

You have the choice to clear the goods provisionally, all request for provisional clearance are auto accepted on payment of securities. We feel that your pursuit to seek justice must not be hindered by the threat of demurrages.

We have successfully dealt with import of the following items into Pakistan and the list is growing all the time:

Pakistan Customs already has examination reports for risky consignments. Where consignments were deemed risky, they were grounded by the terminal operator and examined by Customs on arrival of the vessel and the report fed into PACCS.

Payment of Taxes/Duties
PACCS is a self-assessment system where you pay your taxes yourself without interference by Customs before filing a declaration to Customs. You pay your duties anywhere in the country, all you need is to remember your BL number.

Determination of Value
PACCS proceeds by the book, the only value accepted under PACCS is transactional value ascertained as per the GATT code.

Dispute over Value
There is a formal mechanism for review of values ascertained by the assessing staff. This is called the First Review. In case you are not satisfied with the first review, there is a second review before the Assistant Collector. The Assistant Collector in the second review gives formal written orders. Orders by the Assistant Collector are appealable before Collector Appeals. Orders of Collector Appeals are appealable before the Appellate tribunal.

You have the choice to clear the goods provisionally, all request for provisional clearance are auto accepted on payment of securities. We feel that your pursuit to seek justice must not be hindered by the threat of demurrages.

We have successfully dealt with import of the following items into Pakistan and the list is growing all the time: