The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed a 10 percent processing fee on a broader range of Afghan transit commercial goods passing through Pakistan.
The updated list now includes items such as agricultural equipment, ship derricks and cranes, steam and vapor-generating boilers, industrial and laboratory furnaces and ovens, automatic data processing machines, and various other products.
This expansion builds on the FBR’s earlier decision, which applied the 10 percent fee to five primary categories of goods transiting to Afghanistan: confectioneries and chocolates, footwear, mechanical and electrical machinery, blankets and home textiles, and garments.
The move follows recommendations from the Ministry of Commerce, which highlighted concerns that the Afghan transit trade route is being misused.
According to the Ministry, significantly lower customs duties in Afghanistan compared to Pakistan have led to exploitation of the transit facility, allegedly with the cooperation of traders from both countries.
The revised policy aims to curb this misuse and strengthen regulatory oversight of goods transported under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement.
