📋 Tender Overview
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry urged the exporters to ensure timely filing of Goods Declarations (GDs) and completion of documentation.
He was chairing 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.
He called for closer coordination among Customs, port authorities, exporters and shipping stakeholders to address clearance delays and improve the predictability of transit times for textile exports.
Customs and port authorities briefed the meeting on existing clearance procedures and the time taken at different stages. Participants stressed the need for closer coordination among Customs, port authorities, terminal operators, traders and other stakeholders to improve operational efficiency.
The meeting also reviewed consignments selected for scanning. It was observed that scanning should be scheduled efficiently to avoid unnecessary delays while maintaining regulatory and security requirements.
Junaid Chaudhry directed Customs authorities to review the scanning process, identify causes of delays and work with relevant stakeholders to streamline operations. He also called for greater use of the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and advance electronic processing to facilitate clearance before, or immediately upon, cargo arrival.
The minister further directed the authorities to examine existing procedures and identify opportunities to reduce processing time through digitalisation, advance filing and improved coordination among Customs, exporters, shipping lines, port operators and PSW stakeholders.
The exporters also 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 had created additional challenges for shipments.
Junaid Chaudhry said 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 Customs, exporters and PSW stakeholders 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 Pakistans 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.
