ISLAMABAD: The government has reduced regulatory and additional customs duties on imported mobile phones for the fiscal year 2026-27, lowering the tax burden on expensive smartphones.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the regulatory duty on mobile phones priced above $500 has been reduced from Rs22,000 to Rs17,600 per handset, a reduction of Rs4,400, or 20%.
Under the revised tariff structure, regulatory duties have also been lowered across various mobile phone categories, while the Additional Customs Duty (ACD) has been cut from 6% to 4%.
For mobile phones imported in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) and Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) form, the regulatory duty has been reduced from 5% to 4%, while the ACD has also been lowered from 6% to 4%.
The Ministry of Commerce said the tariff reductions are part of the phased reforms introduced under the FY2026-27 budget and the National Tariff Policy 2025-30.
Officials said Pakistan’s mobile phone imports also increased significantly during FY2025-26, rising from $1.497 billion to $1.888 billion. Imports of fully built smartphones more than doubled, reaching $357.7 million.
While reducing duties on imported handsets, the government is also working on a new policy aimed at promoting local mobile phone assembly and manufacturing in Pakistan.
