Directives issued to address delay in goods clearance

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has urged exporters to ensure timely filing of Goods Declarations (GDs) and completion of documentation.

He chaired a meeting on issues faced by textile exporters at ports, attended by representatives of the export industry, port authorities, Customs, relevant government departments and other stakeholders.

The minister called for closer coordination among Customs, port authorities, exporters and shipping-sector stakeholders to address clearance delays and improve the predictability of transit times for textile exports.

Customs and port officials briefed the meeting on the existing clearance procedures and the time taken at different stages. Participants stressed the need for closer cooperation among all stakeholders including traders and terminal operators to improve operational efficiency.

They also reviewed the issue of consignments selected for scanning. It was observed that scanning should be scheduled efficiently to avoid unnecessary delay while meeting regulatory and security requirements. The maritime minister directed Customs authorities to evaluate the scanning process, identify causes of delay and work with relevant stakeholders to streamline operations. He also called for greater use of the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and advanced electronic processing to facilitate clearance before, or immediately upon, cargo arrival.

He directed the authorities to examine the existing procedures and identify opportunities to reduce processing time through digitalisation, advance filing and improved coordination among the Customs, exporters, shipping lines, port operators and PSW stakeholders.

The exporters raised concerns over longer transit times caused by disruptions to international shipping routes, particularly those linked to the situation in the Red Sea. The meeting noted that route changes and longer vessel journeys caused additional challenges for shipments.

Chaudhry stressed that the issues required both immediate operational measures and longer-term improvements in shipping connectivity. He said the concerns raised by exporters would be addressed through a coordinated mechanism.

It was agreed that the Customs, exporters and PSW would remain engaged through the relevant coordination mechanism and hold follow-up discussions on cargo dwell time and scanning-related issues.

The minister emphasised the need for prompt and practical measures to address port and Customs bottlenecks affecting the competitiveness of Pakistan's textile exports. He directed the relevant authorities to work closely with exporters, port authorities, Customs, PSW and shipping lines to improve clearance efficiency and facilitate shorter and more predictable transit times.