Islamabad (GNP): Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry urged exporters to ensure the timely filing of Goods Declarations (GDs) and completion of required documentation, while chairing a meeting addressing challenges faced by textile exporters at Pakistan’s ports.
The session brought together representatives from the export industry, port authorities, Customs, and other relevant government departments and stakeholders. Chaudhry called for stronger coordination among Customs officials, port authorities, exporters, and shipping stakeholders to reduce clearance delays and make transit times for textile exports more predictable.
Customs and port officials briefed attendees on current clearance procedures and the time required at each stage. Participants agreed on the need for closer collaboration among Customs, port authorities, terminal operators, traders, and other parties to boost overall operational efficiency.
The meeting also examined the process for selecting consignments for scanning, with participants noting that scanning schedules should be managed more efficiently to minimize unnecessary delays while still meeting regulatory and security standards.
Chaudhry instructed Customs authorities to review the scanning process, pinpoint the causes of delays, and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to streamline operations. He also called for wider use of the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) system and advance electronic processing to enable clearance before or immediately upon cargo arrival.
The Minister further directed authorities to review existing procedures and identify ways to cut processing time through digitalization, advance filing, and better coordination among Customs, exporters, shipping lines, port operators, and PSW stakeholders.
Exporters also raised concerns about longer transit times resulting from disruptions to international shipping routes, particularly those tied to the situation in the Red Sea, noting that rerouted and extended vessel journeys have added further complications to shipments.
Chaudhry acknowledged that addressing these issues would require both immediate operational fixes and longer-term improvements to shipping connectivity, assuring exporters that their concerns would be tackled through a coordinated approach.
It was agreed that Customs, exporters, and PSW stakeholders would continue engaging through the existing coordination mechanism, with follow-up discussions planned to address cargo dwell times and scanning-related issues.
The Minister stressed the need for swift, practical action to resolve port and customs bottlenecks affecting the competitiveness of Pakistan’s textile exports, directing relevant authorities to work closely with exporters, port authorities, Customs, PSW, and shipping lines to improve clearance efficiency and enable shorter, more predictable transit times.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
